title: Clinical assessment of the entry into neurological state in rat experimental African trypanosomiasis.
abstract: Human African trypanosomiasis, caused by Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) gambiense or rhodesiense, evolves in two stages: haemolymphatic stage and meningo-encephalitic stages, the latter featuring numerous neurological disorders. In experimental models infected with diverse T.b. sub-species, body weight (BW) loss, drop in food intake (FI), and hypo-activity after an asymptomatic period suggest the occurrence of a similar two-stage organization. In addition to daily measurement of BW and FI, body core temperature (T(co)) and spontaneous activity (SA) were recorded by telemetry in T.b. brucei-infected rats. After a 10--12-day symptom-free period, a complex clinical syndrome occurred suddenly. If the animal survived the access, the syndrome re-occurred at approximately 5-day intervals until death. The syndrome was made of a drop in FI and BW, a sharp decrease in T(co) and a loss of SA, suggesting a brisk alteration of the central nervous system functioning. Such events confirm the existence of a two-stage disease development in experimental trypanosomiasis. The entry into the second stage is marked by the occurrence of the first access, BW follow-up being essential and often sufficient its determination.
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherches du service de santé des armées, Département des Facteurs Humains, 24, avenue des Maquis du Grésivaudan, B.P. 87 38702 La Tronche, France. cchevriver@crssa.net
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chevrier
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Canini
authors.forename: Annabelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darsaud
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cespuglio
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buguet
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourdon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D020808:Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004435:Eating; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013686:Telemetry; D013997:Time Factors; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*