Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and remains one of the most neglected diseases in Latin America. One of its clinical forms is Chagas megacolon. Despite being known for more than half a century, detailed causes are still obscure. Recent evidence indicates a close relationship between the immune system and the enteric nervous system in the etiology of chagasic megacolon pathology. It is believed that low expression of the 5-HT3A serotonin receptor on lymphocytes could be linked to megacolon development. To test this hypothesis, this work investigated the distribution of CD4, CD8, and CD20 lymphocytes and their 5-HT3A receptor expression. The results demonstrated that Chagas patients without megacolon present a higher expression of the 5-HT3A receptor in all analyzed lymphocytes compared with Chagas patients with megacolon. These data suggest that the high expression of this receptor may lead to immunomodulation and prevent the development of Chagas megacolon.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.References
Cirillo C, Vanden Berghe P, Tack J (2011) Role of serotonin in gastrointestinal physiology and pathology. Minerva Endocrinol 36(4):311–324
de Freitas MA, de Oliveira EC, de Oliveira FC, Jabari S, Brehmer A, da Silveira AB (2015) Is the increased presence of CD8 T-lymphocytes related to serotonin levels in Chagas disease? Colorectal Dis 17(3):268–269. https://doi.org/10.1111/codi.12907
Freitas MA, Segatto N, Tischler N, de Oliveira EC, Brehmer A, da Silveira AB (2017) Relation between mast cells concentration and serotonin expression in chagasic megacolon development. Parasite Immunol 39(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/pim.12414
Johnston KD, Lu Z, Rudd JA (2014) Looking beyond 5-HT(3) receptors: a review of the wider role of serotonin in the pharmacology of nausea and vomiting. Europ J Pharmacol 722:13–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2013.10.014
Koberle F (1968) Chagas' disease and Chagas' syndromes: the pathology of American trypanosomiasis. Adv Parasitol 6:63–116
Sikander A, Rana SV, Prasad KK (2009) Role of serotonin in gastrointestinal motility and irritable bowel syndrome. Clin Chim Acta; Int J Clin Chem 403(1–2):47–55
Simonin J, Vernekar SK, Thompson AJ, Hothersall JD, Connolly CN, Lummis SC, Lochner M (2012) High-affinity fluorescent ligands for the 5-HT(3) receptor. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 22(2):1151–1155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2011.11.097
Tafuri WL (1971) Light and electron microscope studies of the autonomic nervous system in experimental and human American trypanosomiasis. Virchows Archiv A Pathol 354(2):136–149
Walstab J, Rappold G, Niesler B (2010) 5-HT(3) receptors: role in disease and target of drugs. Pharmacol The 128(1):146–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2010.07.001
Funding
This work was supported by funds from CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) Grant 404718/2016-7, Brazil.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Informed consent was obtained from the patient or family members prior to tissue procurement, and this work was approved by Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Research Ethics Committee (ETIC no 110/11) according to Guidelines and Norms for Research Involving Human Beings, Resolution CNS 466/2012, Brazil.
Additional information
Section Editor: Sarah Hendrickx
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de Oliveira, J.A., Freitas, M.A.R., de Oliveira, E.C. et al. 5-HT3A serotonin receptor in the gastrointestinal tract: the link between immune system and enteric nervous system in the digestive form of Chagas disease. Parasitol Res 118, 1325–1329 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06241-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06241-w