Effect of Colchicine on Myocardial Injury Induced by Trypanosoma cruzi in Experimental Chagas Disease

BackgroundThe hallmark of Chagas disease (CD) is multifocal myocarditis and extensive fibrosis. We investigated the potential effect of colchicine on myocardial remodeling in experimental CD.Methods and ResultsOne hundred Syrian hamsters were randomly divided into noninfected untreated control (CG), noninfected control treated with colchicine (COLG 0.4 mg kg−1 d−1 by gavage), infected (IG), and infected treated with colchicine (ICOLG, 0.4 mg kg−1 d−1) groups. The interstitial collagen volume fraction (ICVF) was evaluated by videomorphometry with picrosirius red staining. The gelatinolytic activities of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 were examined with the use of zymography. Myocarditis was described according to the Dallas criteria. Statistical comparisons were performed with parametric analysis of variance and Tukey test. ICVF (%) accumulation was attenuated in infected colchicine-treated animals in the left (CG 0.81 ± 0.13, COLG 0.85 ± 0.13, IG: 1.35 ± 0.31,* ICOLG 1.06 ± 0.19; *P < .05 compared with ICOLG) and right ventricles (CG 1.4 ± 0.36, COLG 1.26 ± 0.14, IG 1.97 ± 0.058,* ICOLG: 1.52 ± 0.23; *P < .05 compared with ICOLG). A significant increase in MMP-2 enzymatic activity (UA) was observed in ICOLG (17,432.8*) compared with GC (3731.6), COLG (2,792.6), and IG (4,286.3; *P < .001). In IG, 66% of animals had myocarditis compared with only 49% in ICOLG.ConclusionsColchicine had a protective effect on myocardium, indicated by decreased interstitial myocardial fibrosis, increased intensity of MMP-2, and attenuated myocardial inflammation.