Cardiac involvement in trypanosomiasis in sheep experimentally infected by Trypanosoma vivax (Ziemman, 1905).
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical signs, electrocardiographic signs and evolution of histopathological lesions in the heart of sheep experimentally infected by Trypanosoma vivax during the acute and chronic phases of infection as well as to investigate the presence of parasitic DNA in the heart using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty-two male sheep were divided into the following four groups: G1, which consisted of six sheep infected by T. vivax that were evaluated until 20 days post-infection (dpi; acute phase); G2, which consisted of six sheep infected by T. vivax that were evaluated until 90 dpi (chronic phase); and G3 and G4 groups, which each consisted of five uninfected sheep. At the end of the experimental period, electrocardiographic evaluations and necroscopic examinations were performed. Fragments of the heart were collected and stained by Hematoxylin-Eosin and Masson's trichrome, and the fragments were also evaluated by PCR for T. vivax. G2 animals presented clinical signs suggestive of heart failure and electrocardiogram alterations characterized by prolonged P, T and QRS complex durations as well as by a cardiac electrical axis shift to the left and increased heart rate. In these animals, mononuclear multifocal myocarditis and interstitial fibrosis were also observed. PCR revealed positivity for T. vivax in two G1 animals and in all G2 animals. Thus, these findings suggested that T. vivax is responsible for the occurrence of cardiac lesions, which are related to heart failure, electrocardiographic alterations and mortality of the infected animals.
['Batista|Jael Soares|JS|', 'Araújo Júnior|Hélio Noberto de|HN|', 'Moura|Gabriela Hémylin Ferreira|GHF|', 'Góis|Rayr Cezar de Souza|RCS|', 'Paiva|Kaliane Alessandra Rodrigues de|KAR|', 'Silva|Jardel Bezerra da|JBD|', 'Costa|Wirton Peixoto|WP|', 'Menezes|Manuela Costa de|MC|', 'Nunes|Francisco Vitor Aires|FVA|', 'Costa|Kizzy Millenn de Freitas Mendonça|KMFM|', 'Medeiros|Gerard Vicente Dantas de|GVD|']
D000208:Acute Disease D000818:Animals D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan D002908:Chronic Disease D016054:DNA, Protozoan D004562:Electrocardiography D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect D006321:Heart D006333:Heart Failure D007074:Immunoglobulin G D008297:Male D009206:Myocardium D018512:Parasitemia D010493:Pericarditis D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction D011897:Random Allocation D012756:Sheep D012757:Sheep Diseases D016689:Trypanosoma vivax D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African
PCR T. vivax Electrocardiogram Cardiac lesions Clinicopathological correlations