title: Effect of colchicine on myocardial injury induced by Trypanosoma cruzi in experimental Chagas disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The hallmark of Chagas disease (CD) is multifocal myocarditis and extensive fibrosis. We investigated the potential effect of colchicine on myocardial remodeling in experimental CD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred Syrian hamsters were randomly divided into noninfected untreated control (CG), noninfected control treated with colchicine (COLG 0.4 mg kg(-1) d(-1) by gavage), infected (IG), and infected treated with colchicine (ICOLG, 0.4 mg kg(-1) d(-1)) groups. The interstitial collagen volume fraction (ICVF) was evaluated by videomorphometry with picrosirius red staining. The gelatinolytic activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 were examined with the use of zymography. Myocarditis was described according to the Dallas criteria. Statistical comparisons were performed with parametric analysis of variance and Tukey test. ICVF (%) accumulation was attenuated in infected colchicine-treated animals in the left (CG 0.81 ± 0.13, COLG 0.85 ± 0.13, IG: 1.35 ± 0.31,* ICOLG 1.06 ± 0.19; *P < .05 compared with ICOLG) and right ventricles (CG 1.4 ± 0.36, COLG 1.26 ± 0.14, IG 1.97 ± 0.058,* ICOLG: 1.52 ± 0.23; *P < .05 compared with ICOLG). A significant increase in MMP-2 enzymatic activity (UA) was observed in ICOLG (17,432.8*) compared with GC (3731.6), COLG (2,792.6), and IG (4,286.3; *P < .001). In IG, 66% of animals had myocarditis compared with only 49% in ICOLG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Colchicine had a protective effect on myocardium, indicated by decreased interstitial myocardial fibrosis, increased intensity of MMP-2, and attenuated myocardial inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Coração, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. fabio.fernandes@incor.usp.br
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Felix José Alvarez
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Ramires
authors.forename: Barbara Maria
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ianni
authors.forename: Vera Maria Cury
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Salemi
authors.forename: Adriana Morgan
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Fernanda Gallinaro
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canzian
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mady
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003094:Collagen; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D050257:Tubulin Modulators; D003094:Collagen; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D003078:Colchicine