Trypanosoma brucei: infection in murine diabetes.
The course of infection due to Trypanosoma brucei infection was observed in genetically diabetic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. A strain of T. brucei, TREU 667, was used which produces a chronic infection in C57BL/6(B6) mice lasting greater than 60 days. Genetic diabetic mice (+db/+db) are obese, and have elevated blood glucose levels, normal levels of insulin, and impaired cell-mediated immunity. Their littermates (m+/m+, m+/+db) are of normal weight, and are normoglycemic and immunocompetent. The infected +db/+db mice lived significantly longer than the nondiabetic littermates. In contrast to this finding, streptozotocin-induced diabetic B6 mice developed higher parasitemia and had shorter survival times than control B6 mice. Continuous treatment with insulin of these streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice led to normalization of blood glucose and a significant reduction of parasitemia. While hyperglycemia may be associated with higher parasitemia and death in streptozotozin-induced diabetes, genetic factors may play an additional role in the genetic models.
D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains / Q000469:parasitology; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics