Comparative serum biochemical changes in mongrel dogs following single and mixed infections of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei.
The serum activities of alkaline phosphatase (AP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and the serum levels of conjugated bilirubin (CB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were studied following single and mixed infections of mongrel dogs with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Twenty mongrel dogs of both sexes aged between 3 and 6 months, and weighing between 2.5 and 5.9 kg were used for the study. The dogs were kept in clean metal cages in a fly-proof house and were fed and given water ad libitum. The twenty dogs were divided into four groups of five dogs each. Group I dogs were uninfected control, group II were infected with T. congolense, group III were infected with T. brucei brucei and group IV were infected with both T. congolense and T. brucei brucei. Each dog in the infected groups II and III was inoculated intraperitonealy (i/p) with 1.0 ml of PBS diluted blood containing 1.0×10(6) trypanosomes whereas each infected dog in group IV (mixed infection) was inoculated with 0.5 ml of the PBS diluted blood containing 0.5×10(6)T. congolense and 0.5 ml of the PBS diluted blood containing 0.5×10(6)T. brucei brucei i/p. Parasites were detectable in the blood of the infected dogs in groups II, III, and IV 10-13 days post infection (PI) with the mean pre-patent period (PP) of 12, 10, and 11 days respectively. Trypanosome infection caused a significant (P<0.05) increase in the serum activities of AP, ALT, AST and the serum levels of creatinine, CB, and BUN. The significant increases in the serum levels of CB, BUN, and creatinine and serum activities of AP and AST became noticeable from day seven PI in all the infected groups whereas that of ALT became noticeable from day 14 PI and increased continuously until the experiment was terminated. These increases however did not differ significantly (P>0.05) between the infected groups in most cases. It was thus concluded that single or mixed infection of mongrel dogs with T. congolense and T. brucei brucei resulted in significant increases in the serum activities of AP, AST, ALT and serum levels of creatinine, CB and BUN which in most cases did not differ significantly (P>0.05) among the infected groups.
Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. romanusezeokonkwo2002@yahoo.com
R C
RC
Ezeokonkwo
I O
IO
Ezeh
J I
JI
Onunkwo
I W
IW
Onyenwe
C N
CN
Iheagwam
W E
WE
Agu
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D060085:Coinfection; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology; D013997:Time Factors; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014348:Trypanosoma congolense / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin