Trypanosoma cruzi infection induced changes in the innervation, structure and function of the murine bladder

Abstract

Purpose: The involvement of the lower urinary tract in chronic Chagas' disease has received little attention. Therefore, we investigated pathology and functional alterations in the bladder of Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice.

Materials and methods: CD1 mice were infected with 5 x 10 T. cruzi trypomastigotes of the Brazil strain of T. cruzi. At day 100 after infection bladder structure and function were examined by pathological evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging and cystometric studies.

Results: The bladder in infected mice weighed more and were large, dilated, deformed, friable and thin walled compared with control mice. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed these observations. Inflammation, fibrosis and ganglionitis was observed. Cystometric studies revealed that baseline, threshold and micturition pressures were increased in infected mice. Bladder overactivity and decreased bladder compliance were also noted in infected mice. There were no detectable differences in bladder capacity, micturition volume or residual volume between infected and uninfected mice.

Conclusions: Bladder abnormalities may be a more common clinical sequelae of T. cruzi infection than previously appreciated.