title: Trypanosoma cruzi infection alters glucose metabolism at rest and during exercise without modifying the morphology of pancreatic islets in rats.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of Trypanosoma cruzi infection on pancreatic morphology and glucose metabolism at rest and during exercise. Wistar rats were randomized into control (CG=10) and infected (IG=10) groups. The IG animals were inoculated with T. cruzi Y strain (300,000 trypomastigotes/50 g). After 9 weeks, the animals were subjected to glucose (OGTT) and insulin (ITT) tolerance tests and a treadmill running protocol. Blood glucose, lactate and time to fatigue were determined. After euthanasia, the pancreases were removed for morphological and biochemical analyses. The IG presented abnormal glucose kinetics in OGTT and a similar glucose curve in ITT compared to the CG. During the exercise test, the IG showed anticipation of time to fatigue. At the point of fatigue, no difference was found in blood glucose and lactate between the groups. There was a significant correlation between lactate levels and the time to fatigue. The IG presented marked pancreatic inflammation, fibrosis and protein oxidation. The number of β cells in the IG animals was not reduced. T. cruzi infection impaired pancreas morphology and glucose metabolism at rest and during exercise in rats, which could constitute an additional mechanism in the induction of exercise intolerance in Chagas' disease.
authors: Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors: Rômulo D
authors: RD
authors: Novaes
authors: Reggiani V
authors: RV
authors: Gonçalves
authors: Arlete R
authors: AR
authors: Penitente
authors: André
authors: A
authors: Talvani
authors: Clóvis A
authors: CA
authors: Neves
authors: Antônio J
authors: AJ
authors: Natali
authors: Izabel R S C
authors: IR
authors: Maldonado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005080:Exercise Test; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D050050:Protein Carbonylation / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose