title: Gap junctions and chagas disease.
abstract: Gap junction channels provide intercellular communication between cells. In the heart, these channels coordinate impulse propagation along the conduction system and through the contractile musculature, thereby providing synchronous and optimal cardiac output. As in other arrhythmogenic cardiac diseases, chagasic cardiomyopathy is associated with decreased expression of the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) and its gene. Our studies of cardiac myocytes infected with Trypanosoma cruzi have revealed that synchronous contraction is greatly impaired and gap junction immunoreactivity is lost in infected cells. Such changes are not seen for molecules forming tight junctions, another component of the intercalated disc in cardiac myocytes. Transcriptomic studies of hearts from mouse models of Chagas disease and from acutely infected cardiac myocytes in vitro indicate profound remodelling of gene expression patterns involving heart rhythm determinant genes, suggesting underlying mechanisms of the functional pathology. One curious feature of the altered expression of Cx43 and its gene expression is that it is limited in both extent and location, suggesting that the more global deterioration in cardiac function may result in part from spread of damage signals from more seriously compromised cells to healthier ones.
authors: Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Adesse
authors: Regina Coeli
authors: RC
authors: Goldenberg
authors: Fabio S
authors: FS
authors: Fortes
authors: Jasmin
authors: Dumitru A
authors: DA
authors: Iacobas
authors: Sanda
authors: S
authors: Iacobas
authors: Antonio Carlos
authors: AC
authors: Campos de Carvalho
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: de Narareth Meirelles
authors: Huan
authors: H
authors: Huang
authors: Milena B
authors: MB
authors: Soares
authors: Herbert B
authors: HB
authors: Tanowitz
authors: Luciana Ribeiro
authors: LR
authors: Garzoni
authors: David C
authors: DC
authors: Spray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000469:parasitology*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000472:pathogenicity*