title: Iron metabolism and its relationship to anemia and immune system in Trypanosoma evansi infected rats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate biochemical parameters of iron metabolism in rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi. To this end, 20 rats (Wistar) were intraperitoneally inoculated with blood containing trypomastigotes 10(6) (Group T) and 12 animals were used as negative control (Group C) and received saline (0.2 mL) through same route. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture on day 5 (C5, T5) and 30 (C30, T30) post-inoculation (pi) to perform complete blood count and determination of serum iron, transferrin, ferritin, total and latent iron fixation capacity, transferrin saturation and prohepcidin concentration. Also, bone marrow samples were collected, to perform Pearls staining reaction. Levels of iron, total and latent iron binding capacity and prohepcidin concentration were lower (P<0.05) in infected rats (T5 and T30 groups) compared to controls. On the other hand, levels of transferrin and ferritin were higher when compared to controls (P<0.05). The transferrin saturation increased on day 5 pi, but decreased on day 30 pi. The Pearls reaction showed a higher accumulation of iron in the bone marrow of infected animals in day 5 pi (P<0.01). Infection with T. evansi in rats caused anemia and changes in iron metabolism associated to the peaks of parasitemia. These results suggest that changes in iron metabolism may be related to the host immune response to infection and anemic status of infected animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animals, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil. cassiabagolin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Cássia Bagolin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolkmer
authors.forename: Francine Chimelo
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Paim
authors.forename: Aleksandro Schafer
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Lucas Carvalho
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Camila Lopes
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Raqueli Teresinha
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: Guilherme Lopes
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Dornelles
authors.forename: Marta Maria
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Medeiros Frescura Duarte
authors.forename: Silvia Gonzalez
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Cinthia Melazzo
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mazzanti
authors.forename: Sonia Terezinha
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Dos Anjos Lopes
mesh_terms: D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D004285:Dogs; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006485:Hemosiderin / Q000378:metabolism; D064451:Hepcidins; D007107:Immune System / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000254:growth & development; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D006454:Hemoglobins; D064451:Hepcidins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014168:Transferrin; D005293:Ferritins; D006485:Hemosiderin; D007501:Iron