title: Regenerative process evaluation of neuronal subclasses in chagasic patients with megacolon.
abstract: Chagas' disease is one of the most serious parasitic diseases of Latin America, with a social and economic impact far outweighing the combined effects of other parasitic diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis. In the chronic phase of this disease, the destruction of enteric nervous system (ENS) components leads to megacolon development. Previous data presented that the regeneration tax in the ENS neurons is augmented in chagasic patients. Although, there are several neuronal types with different functions in the intestine a detailed study about the regeneration of every neuronal type was never performed before. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the regeneration tax of every neuronal cell type in the ENS from chagasic patients with megacolon and non-infected individuals. A neuronal regeneration marker (GAP-43) was used in combination with a pan-neuronal marker (Peripherin) and several neuropeptides markers (cChat, Substance P, NPY, VIP and NOS), and it was considered as positive just with the combination of these markers. Our results demonstrated that the regeneration levels of cChat, Substance P, and NPY were similar in chagasic patients and non-infected individuals. However, levels of VIP and NOS neuropeptides were increased in chagasic patients when compared with non-infected individuals. We believe that the augment in the regeneration occur due to an increased destruction of selective neuronal types. These results corroborates with previous studies that pointed out to selective destruction of VIP and NOS neurons in chagasic patients.
authors.affiliation: Neurosciences Laboratory, Human Anatomy Department, ICBIM, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38.400-902, Brazil.
authors.forename: Milena Dionízio
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brehmer
authors.forename: Enio Chaves
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Salustiano Gabriel
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Alejandro O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Luquetti
authors.forename: Lilian Lacerda
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.forename: Ricardo Toshio
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Michelle Aparecida Ribeiro
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Freitas
authors.forename: Alexandre Barcelos Morais
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: da Silveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005725:Ganglia, Autonomic / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008531:Megacolon / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase