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A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Intestinal Dilation in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected Mice Deficient in Nitric Oxide Synthase

Author

  • Lars Ny
  • Hua Li
  • Shankar Mukherjee
  • Katarina Persson
  • Bo Holmqvist
  • Dazhi Zhao
  • Vitaliy Shtutin
  • Huan Huang
  • Louis M. Weiss
  • Fabiana S. Machado
  • Stephen M. Factor
  • John Chan
  • Herbert B. Tanowitz
  • Linda A. Jelicks

Summary, in English

Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi causes megasyndromes of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor alterations in the GI tract of T. cruzi-infected mice, and to assess the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the development of intestinal dilation. Brazil strain-infected C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice exhibited dilatation of the intestines by 30 days post-infection. Average intestine lumen diameter increased by 72%. Levels of intestinal NO synthase (NOS) isoforms. NOS2 and NOS3, were elevated in infected WT mice. Inflammation and ganglionitis were observed in all infected mice. Intestinal dilation was observed in infected WT, NOS1, NOS2, and NOS3 null mice. This study demonstrates that MRI is a useful tool to monitor intestinal dilation in living mice and that these alterations may begin during acute infection. Furthermore, our data strongly suggests that NO may not be the sole contributor to intestinal dysfunction resulting from this infection.

Publishing year

2008

Language

English

Pages

760-767

Publication/Series

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Volume

79

Issue

5

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

American Society of Tropcial Medicine & Hygiene

Topic

  • Cancer and Oncology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1476-1645