title: Insights into the pathophysiology of iron metabolism in Pythium insidiosum infections.
abstract: Pythium insidiosum causes life-threatening disease in mammals. Animals with pythiosis usually develop anemia, and most human patients are reported to have thalassemia and the major consequence of thalassemia, iron overload. Therefore, this study evaluated the iron metabolism in rabbits experimentally infected with P. insidiosum. Ten infected rabbits were divided into two groups: one groups received a placebo, and the other was treated with immunotherapy. Five rabbits were used as negative controls. The hematological and biochemical parameters, including the iron profile, were evaluated. Microcytic hypochromic anemia was observed in the infected animals, and this condition was more accentuated in the untreated group. The serum iron level was decreased, whereas the transferrin level was increased, resulting in low saturation. The level of stainable iron in hepatocytes was markedly decreased in the untreated group. A high correlation was observed between the total iron binding capacity and the lesion size, and this correlation likely confirms the affinity of P. insidiosum for iron. The data from this study corroborate the previous implications of iron in the pathogenesis of pythiosis in humans and animals.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas (LAPEMI), Depto. Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zanette
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: P E R
authors.initials: PER
authors.lastname: Bitencourt
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas (LAPEMI), Depto. Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Fighera
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolkmer
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas (LAPEMI), Depto. Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hecktheuer
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas (LAPEMI), Depto. Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas (LAPEMI), Depto. Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas (LAPEMI), Depto. Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: É S
authors.initials: ÉS
authors.lastname: Loreto
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil; Laboratório de Pesquisas Micológicas (LAPEMI), Depto. Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil. Electronic address: janio.santurio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Santurio
mesh_terms: D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D058968:Pythiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000662:veterinary*; D011775:Pythium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D007501:Iron