Effects of high-fat chow on heart tissue in acute and chronic experimental murine schistosomiasis mansoni

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate myocardial injuries in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni and fed a high-fat chow. Sections of myocardial tissue from S. mansoni-infected mice, and controls that had been killed 9 and 17 weeks post-infection, were stained with H&E and Picrosirius red. Histopathological examination, stereological design-based method (optical disector) and morphometry (vessels, cardiomyocytes and an amount of collagen) were used. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA. Regardless of time of infection, myocardial tissue from the infected mice fed high-fat chow showed myocarditis characterized by a higher number of inflammatory foci, several areas displaying coagulation of cardiac fibres, a greater loss of cardiomyocytes and fibroblast proliferation than in the standard chow control. Comparing infected mice from acute and chronic infections, a higher cardiomyocyte hyperplasia (P < 0·0001) and higher amounts of collagen (P < 0·05) were observed than in standard chow control. In addition, all animals fed high-fat chow showed lower numerical density and total number of cardiomyocytes (P < 0·05), thicker vessel walls and narrowed luminal intramyocardial vessels (P > 0·05) than in the standard chow control. Altogether the data supported the view that a double burden has a synergistic deleterious effect on the myocardial tissue.