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Effects of intraperitoneal administration of vitamins C and
E or A and E combinations on the severity of Trypanosoma
brucei brucei infection in rats
Umar, I. A.* Rumah, B. L.,
Bulus, S. L., Kamla, A. A., Jobin, A., Asueliman, B. I.,
Mazai, M.H., Ibrahim, M. A. and Isah, S.
Department of
Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University,
Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
smaumar@yahoo.com.
Tel: +2348023586896.
Accepted 11 March 2008
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The
effects of intraperitoneal administration of combinations of
vitamins C and E (100mg/Kg b.w each) or vitamins A and E
(10,000i.u/Kg, 100mg/Kg b. w., respectively) on
Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection in rats were
compared. The rats were infected intraperitoneally with the
same parasite load and the experiment lasted for 17 days.
The two vitamin combinations significantly (P<0.05) and
persistently kept the parasitaemia lower than was recorded
in the untreated infected rats. Terminal parasitaemia of the
infected group given the vitamins A and E combination (AE)
was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of the group
given the vitamins C and E combination (CE). Although all
infected animals developed anaemia, its severity in the
untreated infected animals was significantly (P<0.05) higher
than observed in the two infected groups treated with the
vitamin combinations; with the group given AE developing a
significantly (P<0.05) less severe anaemia than those given
CE. Trypanosoma brucei infection, without vitamin
treatment caused general increases in serum alanine- and
aspartate aminotransferases, urea and creatinine. Although
CE had no significant effect on the infection levels of
serum ALT and AST; AE significantly (P<0.05) prevented the
disease-induced increases in these parameters. The two
vitamin combinations prevented, to a significant degree, the
disease-induced elevation of serum urea and creatinine;
however, AE was more effective at this than CE. It was
concluded that intraperitoneal administration of either
vitamins C and E or vitamins A and E combinations alleviates
the degenerative changes in tissues and organs associated
with Trypanosoma brucei infection of rats; with the
vitamins A and E combination being more effective.
Key
words:
Trypanosoma brucei brucei,
antioxidant vitamins, anaemia, tissue damage. |
