title: Mitochondrial involvement in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: The pathogenesis of chronic chagasic cardiopathy is still under discussion; there is considerable evidence that inflammatory infiltrates and their mediators have a direct effect on cardiac cells. Here we studied the structure and function of cardiac mitochondria in chronic chagasic myocardiopathy. Cardiac mitochondrial structure and enzyme activity of citrate synthase and complexes I to IV of the respiratory chain were studied in albino Swiss mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen strain or SGO Z12 isolate) on 365 days post-infection (dpi). The presence of parasites in cardiac and skeletal muscle was also investigated. The activity of complexes I to IV was altered in different ways, according to the strain employed (P<0.0001), in relation to the cristae disorganisation and the parasite persistence found in the Tulahuen group, and the chronic inflammatory process described in both groups; citrate synthase activity also increased in both infected groups. Changes in mitochondrial structure were detected in 89% of Tulahuen- and 58% of SGO Z12-infected mice. In this paper we demonstrate that parasite persistence and inflammation are likely to be involved in the structural and functional alterations in cardiac mitochondria from chronically T. cruzi-infected mice, demonstrating that the parasite strain determines different mitochondrial changes in chagasic cardiopathy.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de Salud Humana, Departamento de Ciencias de Salud y Educación, Universidad Nacional de La Rioja, La Rioja, Argentina. alejandralidiab@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Báez
authors.forename: María Silvina
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lo Presti
authors.forename: Héctor Walter
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Rivarola
authors.forename: Gustavo Guzmán
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Mentesana
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fretes
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Paglini-Oliva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000502:physiology; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000469:parasitology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi