Trypanosoma duttoni: Pyruvate and pantothenate levels in plasma and liver tissue of normal and pantothenic acid-deficient mice

1974

Z. Parasitenk.

An experimental model composed of the folic acid deficient Sprague-Dawley rat and Trypanosoma rhodesiense was used to study folate levels in sera and tissues. Serum folate levels in well fed rats inoculated on day 21 averaged 21 plus or minus ng/ml; well fed normal rats averaged 18 plus or minus 4 ng/ml. In rats given the pair-fed control diet, serum folate levels averaged 17.2 plus or minus 4 ng/ml for trypanosome-free animals and 20.2 plus or minus 3 ng/ml for infected ones. In rats given the folic acid-deficient diet, serum folate levels averaged 8.6 plus or minus 2 ng/ml for noninfected control animals and 9.3 plus or minus 2 ng/ml for trypanosome-infected ones. Regardless of diet, the infected animals inoculated on day 56 had higher serum folate levels over the controls on the last day of observation (day 5 of infection). Livers from rats fed complete and pair-fed diets and inoculated on day 21 showed no significant differences in folate content when compared to control animals. However, livers of rats on a deficient diet showed significantly more folate when compared with uninfected controls, reaching a maximum of 362% of day 25. Liver folate levels of rats (regardless of the dietary regimen) inoculated on day 56 showed significantly higher values than the controls on day 60. Irrespective of the time of inoculation or diet, brain and spinal cord of T. rhodesiense-infected rats had significantly higher folate values than their controls on day 5 of infection. The folate level of the brain and spinal cord, at this time, ranged up to 58 and 107% respectively.

Trypanosoma rhodesiense: Folate levels in sera and tissues of normal and folic acid-deficient rats

Aboko-Cole

1974

Z. Parasitenk.

Ultrastructure of Trypanosoma duttoni

Watson

1975

Z. F. Parasitenkunde

Trypanosoma duttoni exhibits the typical trypanosome morphology in that it is bounded by a unit membrane which included its anterior flagellum; it is surrounded by a framework of suppellicular fibrils, and it contains a nucleus and the posteriorly located kinetoplast-blepharoplast structures along with cytoplasmic organelles (mitochondria, Golgi, and enoplasmic reticulum). Very prominently displayed in T. duttoni is the contractile vacuole, which has not previously received wide-spread recognition. The kinetoplast is clearly continuous with mitochondria in some cases. Inclusion bodies are categorized into three distinct types, none of which can be conclusively designated as the very popular volutin granules, without cytochemical evidence. The existence of a third tubule among peripheral tubule doublets of the flagellum is observed.

Interaction of nutrition and infection:Trypanosoma lewisi, folic acid levels in sera and tissues of normal and folic acid-deficient rats

Aboko-Cole

1974

Z. F. Parasitenkunde

Summary. Progressive changes in folic acid levels in sera and tissues of rats infected with Trypanosoma lewisi are described. The host dietary groups were: (1) complete or full complement; (2) folie acid-deficient, and (3) pair-fed or calorically restricted.Serum folate values of rats on a folic acid complete diet and pair-fed diet and inoculated on Day 21, showed significantly higher values than the controls between Days 35 and 45. The average serum folate values in adequately fed control rats was 16--3ng/ml as opposed to 20--3ng/ml for trypanosomc-infected rats. Animals inoculated on Day 56 had higher folate values than control rats from Day 65 to Day 80. Serum folate content of deficient rats infected on Days 21 and 56 was significantly higher than the controls on Days 30 to 60 and 61) to 100. respectively.The livers of rats fed a folic complete and a pair-fed diet and inoculated on Days 21 and 56 with T. lewisi showed no significant difference in folate content when compared with the uninfected rats.Livers of folic acid-deficient rats infected with T. lewisi on Days 21 and 56 showed statistically significant increases over the controls from the 10th day of infection. Infected animals had 200% more folate than controls.Irrespective of diet and time of inoculation (Day 21 or 56), the folic acid content of brains and spinal cords of rats infected with T. leu'isi were not significantly different from that of the controls.