TY - JOUR
T1 - A magnetic resonance imaging study of intestinal dilation in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice deficient in nitric oxide synthase
AU - Ny, Lars
AU - Li, Hua
AU - Mukherjee, Shankar
AU - Persson, Katarina
AU - Holmqvist, Bo
AU - Zhao, Dazhi
AU - Shtutin, Vitaliy
AU - Huang, Huan
AU - Weiss, Louis M.
AU - Machado, Fabiana S.
AU - Factor, Stephen M.
AU - Chan, John
AU - Tanowitz, Herbert B.
AU - Jelicks, Linda A.
PY - 2008/11
Y1 - 2008/11
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=55849130371&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=55849130371&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.2008.79.760
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.2008.79.760
M3 - Article
C2 - 18981519
AN - SCOPUS:55849130371
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 79
SP - 760
EP - 767
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 5
ER -