Aspirin prevents atrophy of esophageal nitrergic myenteric neurons in a mouse model of chronic Chagas disease

This study evaluated the effects of treatment of Chagas disease with ASA on the esophageal nitrergic myenteric neuron population and esophageal wall in mice. We observed that treatment of chagasic infection with ASA protects the esophageal myenteric neurons from the atrophy caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi infection. The mice were infected with 1300 trypomastigotes of Y strain T. cruzi intraperitoneally. Part of infected mice was treated with ASA from fifth to twelfth day after inoculation. Our data support the hypothesis that eicosanoids given during the acute phase of the chagasic infection may act as immunomodulators aiding the transition to and maintenance of the chronic phase of the disease. Besides, ASA treatment did not provoke alterations in the esophageal wall and the myenteric neurons in infected mice.
Source: Diseases of the Esophagus - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research