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Ultrastructure of Trypanosoma cruzi in mouse myocardium. I. Trypanosome form

1963; Elsevier BV; Volume: 14; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0014-4894(63)90013-4

1090-2449

Antonio Sanabria,

Cardiomyopathy and Myosin Studies

White mice were infected intraperitoneally with Trypanosoma cruzi and sacrificed 7, 14, 22, 35, 40, and 60 days after infection. Fine sections of the myocardium were studied under the electron microscope. The adult form was localized within the capillaries, myofibers, and interstitial spaces. Its structure was found to be constituted by a cellular membrane, below which are located the longitudinal striae forming the periplast. The flagellum originates in the basal corpuscle and is formed by 20 parallel axial fibers. The flagellum is fixed to the parasite's body by means of an undulating membrane interwoven with parallel striae. The nucleus is located toward the center of the cytoplasm and contains chromatin accumulations as well as a large nucleolus. The posterior half of the parasite contains a vacuole, limited by a double tortuous membrane in which large, osmiophilic masses and filaments are present. The Golgi apparatus is near the nucleus. In addition there can be found mitochondria, vacuoles, ribosomes, and membranous structures similar to the rough-surface endoplasmic reticulum of vertebrates. Surrounding the intracellular parasites are a few thin myofibril segments and very scarce mitochondria, some of which appear to be swollen. Parasites in different evolutional stages, viz. Leishmania, Crithidia, and Trypanosoma in both young and adult forms, are present in the same intramyocardial nest.