Effect of selenium supplementation on the efficacy of diminazene aceturate or isometamidium chloride in chemotherapy of Trypanosoma brucei infected rats.

Abstract

The effect of Selenium supplementation on the chemotherapeutic efficacy of diminazene aceturate (Berenil®) and isometamidium chloride (Samorin®) was studied. Thirty-six adult albino rats were randomly assigned into 6 Groups (A – F) of 6 rats each and were treated as follows; Group A= Samorin® only, Group B = Samorin® + Selenium, Group C
= Berenil® only, Group D = Berenil® + Selenium and Group E = infected untreated control whereas Group F served as uninfected untreated control. The supplementation prolonged relapse interval in Samorin® + Selenium treated group and prevented relapse in Berenil® + Selenium group. Supplementation also appeared to have improved the blood values of the treated rats with the PCV and RBC count of the infected untreated
group being significantly (p<0.05) lower than other groups from day 21 PI. It also improved the leucocyte count significantly (p<0.05) when compared with Samorin only on day 35 PI and with samorin only and berenil only on day 42 PI. The mean temperature of the infected untreated group was significantly (p<0.05) higher than other groups from day 21 PI. The supplementation did not produce significant (p>0.05) difference in
the weight and differential counts. From the results, it appears that selenium supplementation could improved the therapeutic activities of samorin and berenil in treatment of Trypanosoma brucei infected rats.