Abstract
This study aimed to assess plasma concentrations of copper, iron, and zinc during the course of acute Trypanosoma evansi experimental infection in rats. Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into seven groups: three trypanosome-infected groups (T2, T4, and T6; n = 10 animals per group) and four uninfected controls (C0, C2, C4, and C6; n = 5 animals per group). Animals from trypanosome-infected groups were intraperitoneally injected with 106 trypanosomes/animal. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture before infection (day 0; group C0) or on the second (C2 and T2), fourth (C4 and T4), and sixth (C6 and T6) day postinfection. Parasitemia and hematological evaluation were performed to assess the progression of the disease in animals. The difference between groups (control and infected) was evaluated on the same day postinfection. Plasma copper concentration increased in T4 and T6 groups (P < 0.001) compared with the control group. Plasma iron concentration decreased only in group T2 (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the plasma zinc concentration between groups. This study therefore demonstrates that high plasma copper concentration and depression in iron concentration is part of the acute phase response in rats infected with T. evansi.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by Brazilian Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). We are grateful to Rogério Ferreira for the statistical analysis.
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Wolkmer, P., da Silva, C.B., Schmidt, C. et al. Trypanosoma evansi infection on levels of copper, iron, and zinc in the plasma of rats. Comp Clin Pathol 22, 263–269 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-011-1397-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-011-1397-y