title: Secondary bacterial infection in plasma endotoxin levels and the acute-phase response of mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei.
abstract: Murine Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection leads to elevated plasma endotoxin-like activity levels not related to parasitaemia levels accompanied by the development of acute-phase response and increased plasma levels of serum amyloid P (SAP) and haptoglobin (Hp). To determine the source of the endotoxin-like activity and role of secondary bacterial infection in the pathogenesis of trypanosomosis, infected mice were treated with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. Plasma endotoxin-like activity levels, irrespective of treatment, were elevated three- to fourfold, beginning 7 days after infection. Plasma protein concentrations increased markedly following infection from 7 days after infection (DAI). Peak Hp and SAP concentrations in ciprofloxacin-treated and -untreated infected mice were attained 7 and 14 DAI, respectively. Thereafter, both protein levels gradually declined until the end of the experiment, but Hp levels for non-treated mice declined up to 21 DAI and thereafter significantly increased on 28 and 35 DAI. Whole-trypanosome lysate and the membrane-enriched fraction demonstrated endotoxin-like activity, with the former having higher levels. The results suggest that the endotoxin-like activity in trypanosome fractions and plasma of infected mice is due to the trypanosome. Further elevation of haptoglobin during the late stages of infection in non-treated mice suggests the involvement of secondary bacterial infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, Egerton Njoro, Kenya. ramuch68@yahoo.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ngure
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Eckersall
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Mbai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019446:Endotoxemia / Q000209:etiology*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000032:analysis; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000276:immunology*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004731:Endotoxins; D006242:Haptoglobins; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D002939:Ciprofloxacin