Acetylcholinesterase Levels in Brains of Rabbits Infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei: A Preliminary Study

Is There a Cholinergic Survival Incentive for Neurotropic Parasites in the Brain?

“…We further investigated this neuroselectivity by expanding the range to include other neurotropic parasites like Trypanosoma brucei that causes African sleeping sickness by targeting the brain. Similar to the finding noted above with Toxoplasma gondii, it has been found that AChE levels in infected brains of rabbits with Trypanosoma brucei were directly or indirectly related to cerebral symptoms in animals and possibly humans . It is noteworthy that associations of of ACh with motility of the neurotropic parasites via nAChR/mAChR, the attempts of the body to reduce serum and tissue levels of ACh during parasitaemia and the brain infections, cannot be just a coincidence of the relationship between ACh and CNS selectivity of neurotropic parasites.…”

“…Similar to the finding noted above with Toxoplasma gondii, it has been found that AChE levels in infected brains of rabbits with Trypanosoma brucei were directly or indirectly related to cerebral symptoms in animals and possibly humans. 5 It is noteworthy that associations of of ACh with motility of the neurotropic parasites via nAChR/mAChR, the attempts of the body to reduce serum and tissue levels of ACh during parasitaemia and the brain infections, cannot be just a coincidence of the relationship between ACh and CNS selectivity of neurotropic parasites. Additionally, the fact a sustained ACh induced cholinergic receptor stimulations by the use of organophosporus compounds that can cause the excitotoxicity, has been in use for decades now as an antiparasitic and insecticidal agent, reinforces the significance of ACh in the biology of parasites in general and neurotropic protozoa in particular.…”