Trypanosoma cruzi is a species of parasitic protozoan trypanosomes. The species causes the trypanosomiasis diseases in humans and animals in America. The species is transmitted by the feces of reduviid bugs. Trypanosoma is a notable genus of trypanosomes, a monophyletic[1] group of unicellular parasitic protozoa. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Wikisource has an original article from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica about: Protozoa Protozoa (in Greek proto = first and zoa = animals) are single-celled eukaryotes (organisms whose cells have nuclei) that commonly show characteristics usually associated with animals, most notably mobility and heterotrophy. ... Genera Blastocrithidia Crithidia Endotrypanum Herpetomonas Leishmania Leptomonas Phytomonas Trypanosoma Wallaceina Trypanosomes are a group of kinetoplastid protozoa distinguished by having only a single flagellum. ... Trypanosomiasis is the name of the diseases caused by parasitic protozoan trypanosomes of the genus trypanosoma in vertebrates. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Subfamilies Harpactorinae Reduviinae Stenopodainae Emesinae Apiomerinae Ectrichodiinae Peiratinae Tegeinae Triatominae etc. ...

Trypanosoma cruzi
Trypanosoma cruzi, crithidia.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Protista Phylum: Euglenozoa Class: Kinetoplastea Order: Trypanosomatida Genus: Trypanosoma Species: T. cruzi

Human American Trypanosomiasis, or Chagas disease, is a potentially fatal disease of humans. It has two forms, trypomastigote found in human blood and amastigote found in tissues. The acute form usually goes unnoticed and may present as a localized swelling at the site of entry of the parasites in the skin. The chronic form may develop 10 to 20 years after infection. This form affects internal organs (e.g. the heart, esophagus, colon and the peripheral nervous system). Affected people may die from heart failure. Photomicrograph of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites (Chagas disease pathogen). ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Typical phyla Chromista Heterokontophyta Haptophyta Cryptophyta (cryptomonads) Alveolata Dinoflagellata Apicomplexa Ciliophora (ciliates) Excavata Euglenozoa Percolozoa Metamonada Rhizaria Radiolaria Foraminifera Cercozoa Archaeplastida (in part) Rhodophyta (red algae) Glaucophyta (basal archaeplastids) Amoebozoa Choanozoa Many others; classification varies Protists (IPA: ) are a diverse group of organisms, comprising those eukaryotes that are not animals... Typical Classes Euglenoidea Kinetoplastea Diplonemea Postgaardea The Euglenozoa are a large group of flagellateprotozoa. ... Orders Trypanosomatida Bodonida The kinetoplastids are a group of flagellate protozoa, including a number of parasites responsible for serious diseases in humans and other animals, as well as various forms found in soil and aquatic environments. ... Genera Blastocrithidia Crithidia Endotrypanum Herpetomonas Leishmania Leptomonas Phytomonas Trypanosoma Wallaceina Trypanosomes are a group of kinetoplastid protozoa distinguished by having only a single flagellum. ... Trypanosoma is a notable genus of trypanosomes, a monophyletic[1] group of unicellular parasitic protozoa. ... The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/Å“sophagus, Greek ), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. ... Colon has several meanings: colon (anatomy) colon (punctuation) colon (rhetoric) See also Colón This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The peripheral nervous system or PNS, is part of the nervous system, and consists of the nerves and neurons that reside or extend outside the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to serve the limbs and organs, for example. ...

Therapy consists of Nifurtimox and benznidazole for acute cases. There is currently no effective therapy for chronic cases. Nifurtimox is a 5-nitrofuran and is used to treat diseases caused by trypanosomes (Chagas disease and sleeping sickness). ... Benznidazole (INN, marketed by Hoffman-La Roche under the trade names Rochagan® and Radanil®) is an antiparasitic medication used in the treatment of Chagas disease. ...

MYOCARDIAL BIOCHEMICAL RESPONSE TO TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI INFECTION

Subcellular findings in murine studies with induced T. cruzi infection revealved that the chronic state is associated with the persistent elevation of phosporylated (activated) extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), AP-1, and NF-κB. Also, the mitotic regulator for the G1 progression, cyclin D1, was found activated. It is indicated that although there was no increase in any isoform of ERK, there was an increased concentration of phosphorylated ERK in T. cruzi infected mice. It was found that within 7 days the concentration of AP-1 was significantly higher in T. cruzi infected mice when compared to the control. elevated levels of NF-κB have also been found in myocardial tissue the highest concentrations being found in the vasculature. It was indicated through Western blot that cyclin D1 was upregulated from day 1 to day 60 post infection. It was also indicated through immunohistochemistry that the areas that produced the most cyclin D1 were the vasculature and interstitial regions of the heart.^[1] ERK stands for extracellular signal-regulated kinase. ... AP-1 can refer to: USS Henderson (AP-1) AP-1 (transcription factor) Category: ... NF-κB, or Nuclear Factor kappa B, is a nuclear transcription factor found in all cell types and is involved in cellular responses to stimuli such as stress, cytokines, free radicals, ultraviolet irradiation, and bacterial or viral antigens. ... Figure 1. ...

CONDUCTION ABNORMALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI INFECTION

Also associated with Chagas’ disease are conduction abnormalities. At the base of these conduction abnormalities is a depopulation of parasympathetic neuronal endings on the heart. Without proper parasympathetic innervations, one could expect to find not only chronotropic but also ionotropic abnormalities. It is true that all inflammatory and non-inflammatory heart disease may display forms of parasympathetic denervation, this denervation presents in a descriptive fashion in Chagas’ disease. It has also been indicated that the loss of parasympathetic innervations can lead to sudden death. This sudden death is due to a severe cardiac failure that occurs during the acute stage of infection. <^[2]>

Another conduction abnormality presented with chronic Chagas’ disease is a change in ventricular repolarization. Ventricular repolarization is represented on an electrocardiogram as the T-wave. This change in repolarization inhibits the heart from relaxing and entering diastole properly. Changes in the ventricular repolarization in Chagas’ disease are likely due to myocardial ischemia. This ischemia can also lead to fibrillation. This sign is usually observed in chronic Chagas’ disease and is considered a minor electromyocardiopathy. <^[3]>

Another class of electrocardiomyopathies associated with Chagas’ disease are the bundle branch blocks. These include incomplete left bundle branch block, complete left bundle branch block and complete right bundle branch block. These defects occur because of a lack of conduction in the bundle branches which connect the AV node to the purkinje fibers, which mediates a concerted contraction of the ventricles. A bundle branch block is usually associated with a change in the Electrocardiogram vector. The ECG vector usually runs straight to the apex of the heart, in a bundle branch block the vector will run to the opposite from the block. Chagasic bundle branch block is presented in chronic Chagas’ disease and is considered a moderate electrocardiomyopathy. Bundle branch block refers to a disorder of the hearts electrical conducting system. ... Purkinje fibers (or Purkyne tissue) are located in the inner ventricular walls of the heart, just beneath the endocardium. ... “QRS” redirects here. ...

Severe conduction abnormalities associated with Chagas’ disease occurs when a bundle branch block spreads past the bundle of His and creates an Atrial-Ventricular block. At this point the patient will present with and impaired conduction velocity, mild bradycardia, or elicit Wenckebach phenomenon depending to the degree of AV block. Also presented with severe Chagas’ cardiomyopathy but lying outside the scope of this subsection would be dyspnea and syncope. Dyspnea (R06. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Reference

External Links

• VCU Virtual Parasite Project , T-cruzi parasite simulation