Nervous System – ABC CARDIOL

IJCS

Review Article

The Gut Brain-Axis in Neurological Diseases

Pedro Melo Barbosa et al. Egberto Reis Barbosa

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that dysfunction of the gut-brain axis may be an important factor contributing to many diseases of the nervous system. Increased gut permeability associated with chronic gastrointestinal dysfunction, as well as changes in the composition of the gut microbiota could contribute to exposure of the enteric and central nervous system to pathogens and its metabolites, including endotoxins and pro-inflammatory cytokines. As a consequence, dysfunction of the host’s immune system could contribute to an abnormal immunological response leading to auto-immune conditions, such as multiple sclerosis. So far, gut dysbiosis has been reported in association with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions, and cerebrovascular disease. These findings suggest that the possibility of targeting the gut microbiota could become a future therapeutic option to treat these conditions. However, before this knowledge can be useful in the clinical setting, more data is needed to establish clear causal relationships between dysfunction of the gut-brain axis and neurological diseases.

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Artigo Original

Etanercept induces low QRS voltage and autonomic dysfunction in mice with experimental Chagas disease

Héctor Rodríguez-Angulo et al. Oscar García Endher Castillo Edward Cardenas … Juan Marques Alfredo Mijares

BACKGROUND: Chagas disease is a tropical parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagasic cardiomyopathy is characterized by disorders of autonomic regulation and action potential conduction in the acute and chronic phases of infection. Although tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) has been linked to cardiomyopathy in experimental models and in patients with Chagas disease, other reports suggest that TNF-α may exert anti-parasitic actions during the acute phase of infection. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the effects of a soluble TNF-α agonist, etanercept, on electrocardiographic parameters in the acute phase of experimental infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. METHODS: Electrocardiograms were obtained from untreated infected mice and infected mice who were treated with etanercept 7 days after infection. ECG wave and heart rate variability parameters were determined using Chart for Windows. RESULTS: Etanercept treatment resulted in a low QRS voltage and decreased heart rate variability compared with no treatment. However, the treated mice exhibited a delay in the fall of the survival curve during the acute phase. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that although etanercept treatment promotes survival in mice infected with a virulent T. cruzi strain, TNF-α blockade generates a low voltage complex and autonomic dysfunction during the acute phase of infection. These findings indicate that mortality during the acute phase can be attributed to a systemic inflammatory response rather than cardiac dysfunction.)

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The Gut Brain-Axis in Neurological Diseases

Abstract

Etanercept induces low QRS voltage and autonomic dysfunction in mice with experimental Chagas disease

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Electronic Document Format (Vancouver)

Electronic Document Format (ABNT)

Electronic Document Format (APA)

Electronic Document Format (ISO)