title: Delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity in red blood cells of rats infected with Trypanosoma evansi.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) in red blood cells of rats infected with Trypanosoma evansi and establish its association with haematocrit, serum levels of iron and zinc and lipid peroxidation. Thirty-six male rats (Wistar) were divided into 2 groups with 18 animals each. Group A was non-infected while Group B was intraperitoneally infected, receiving 7·5×106 trypomastigotes per animal. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups of 6 rats and blood was collected during different periods post-infection (p.i.) as follows: day 5 (A1 and B1), day 15 (A2 and B2) and day 30 PI (A3 and B3). Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture to estimate red blood cell parameters (RBC), δ-ALA-D activity and serum levels of iron, zinc and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Rats in group B showed a significant (P<0·05) reduction of RBC count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit at days 5 and 15 p.i. The activity of δ-ALA-D in blood was significantly (P<0·001) increased at days 15 and 30 p.i. δ-ALA-D activity in blood had a significant (P<0·05) negative correlation with haematocrit (r=-0·61) and haemoglobin (r=-0·70) at day 15 p.i. There was a significant (P<0·05) decrease in serum iron and zinc levels and an increase in TBARS levels (P<0·05) during infection. The δ-ALA-D activity in blood was negatively correlated with the levels of iron (r=-0·68) and zinc (r=-0·57) on day 30 p.i. It was concluded that the increased activity of δ-ALA-D in blood might have occurred in response to the anaemia in remission as heme synthesis was enhanced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil. raquelifranca@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Raqueli T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: Aleksandro S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolkmer
authors.forename: Vitor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Marta L R
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Cássia B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Matheus A G
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Valderi L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Dressler
authors.forename: Cinthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mazzanti
authors.forename: Silvia G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Sonia T A
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000502:physiology*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D007501:Iron; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase; D015032:Zinc