Carbohydrate metabolism in sheep experimentally infected with “Trypanosoma vivax”

Abstract

The present research evaluated carbohydrates metabolism alterations in sheep experimentally infected with Trypanosoma vivax. It were used eight male, adult, mixed breed sheep, randomly assigned in two groups: four animals in the witness group and four animals infected with 1x105 T. vivax trypomastigotes. For assessment of plasma glucose and free fatty acids, blood samples were collected from each animal external jugular vein, in both groups, two times before infection and later, in certain days. It was also performed the counting of parasites in the blood, everyday, until 120 days after infection (dpi) and, after that, the animals were euthanized and necropsied, with removal of fragments of liver and muscles to perform hepatic and muscular glycogen dosages. The data were evaluated by Wilcoxon test (5% probability). Carbohydrate metabolism disturbances were observed in the infected animals; free fatty acids increased, and both muscular and hepatic glycogen levels decreased, without alteration of plasmatic glucose concentration.