EFFECTS OF DAFLON® 500 mg AND DIMINAZINE ACETURATE ON THE SERUM PROTEIN CONCENTRATION OF TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI - INFECTED WISTAR RATS

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the effects of Daflon® 500 mg (DF) and Diminazine aceturate (DZ) on serum total protein concentration of Trypanosoma brucei brucei-infected Wistar rats. Fifty male adult Wistar rats weighing between 100 – 120g were randomly assigned into five groups (I-V) of 10 rats each. Group I (uninfected untreated) rats were treated with distilled water (1 ml/kg) per os while group II (infected untreated) rats were intraperitoneally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei (106 trypanosomes/ml of blood). Group III rats were infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei (106 trypanosomes/ml of blood) and intraperitoneally administered with diminazene aceturate at 3.5 mg/kg once, when infection was established. Groups IV and V were first pretreated with daflon® 500 mg at 100 mg/kg per os for three weeks, followed by infection with Trypanosoma brucei brucei (106 trypanosomes/ml of blood) intraperitoneally. Treatment with daflon® 500 mg continued for another one week. In addition, group V rats were intraperitoneally administered with diminazene aceturate at 3.5 mg/kg once, when infection was established prior to continuation with daflon® 500 mg for another one week. Pretreatment with Daflon® 500 mg alone or in combination with diminazene aceturate resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the level of serum total protein and albumin, and an insignificant (P > 0.05) increase in the level of globulins. Thus, suggesting that such combination therapy may be useful in the management of African trypanosomosis.