Effect of nutrition on the red blood cells of Trypanosome-infected female rats

Trypanosomiasis is of great interest to farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a disease that retards agricultural development in general and needs urgent attenion. It has been noted that it causes aneamia in its host which often may lead to death. Many researches showed that dietary supplement can enhance trypanotolerance in various hosts. Diet is important in modulating the severity of its pathophysiological efects and can also influence the rate of recovery. Using a control diet (Diet 1)) was only chicks’ mash. this research was conducted to determine the effect ofmoderate protein (mixture of 250 g of corn meal, 240 g of soyabean meal and 10 g of crayfish meal in chicks’ marsh (Diet 2)), high dietary protein (mixture o 400 g o caseinogen and 300 g o soyabean meal in chicks’ mash (Diet 3)) and high dietary carbohydrate (mixture of 400 g of dextrose and 300 g of corn meal in chicks’ mash (Diet 4)) supplementaton on rodent trypanomiass. Det1 was used to feed rats in Cage ADiet 2 was used to feed rats in Cage B Diet3 was used to feed rats in Cage C while Diet 4 was used to feedrats in Cage D. At the end of the experiment, it was observed that rats fed with Diet 2 (moderate protein diet) had the highest and significantly different (P < 005) red blood cell count than other treatments. This indicated that adequate nutrition reduces the effect of trypanosome and hence trypanotolerance in rats since trypanosome is known to attack red blood cells and vascular endothelium.Keywords: Nutrition, Red blood cells, Trypanosome-infected female rats, Trypanomiasis, Pathophysiolog

Effects Of Dietary Supplementation Of Vitamin E And Selenium On Blood Parameters Of Trypanosome-Infected Rats (Rattus rattus)

This study was carried out to evaluate the combined effects of dietary supplementation of vitamin E (Vit E) and selenium (Se) on total white blood cells, mononucleated cells, polymorphonucleated cells and packed cell volume of Trypanosoma congolense-infected rats (Rattus rattus). Ninety adult R. rattus of pure breed of whiskers were used. The rats were randomly assigned to six treatments groups (A - F) of six cages with five rats in each cage. Each treatment was replicated three times. The rats were fed chicks' mash-based diets (Top Feed Industries) containing varied quantities of vitamin E and selenium. In Treatment A, the control, neither vitamin E nor selenium was included in the diet while in other treatments (B - F) the chicks' mash contained different levels of inclusion of vitamin E and selenium, as follows: Diet B, 0.1 mg Se plus 60 mg Vit E, Diet C, 0.3 mg Se plus 80 mg Vit E, Diet D, 0.5 mg Se plus 100 mg Vit E, Diet E, 0.3 mg Se plus 0.0 mg Vit E and Diet F, 0.0 mg Se and 80 mg Vit E respectively. Blood samples of the rats from each treatment were taken on weekly basis and the blood parameters determined. The experiment lasted five weeks at the end of which it was found that 0.3 mg Se plus 80mg Vit E (Diet C) significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced the resistance of the R. rattus studied against trypanosomiasis, the rats lived beyond the usual 10 - 20 days after being infected with T. congolense. Key Words: Vitamin E, Selenium, Blood, Trypanosome, Rattus rattus Bio-Research Vol.2(1) 2004: 8-1