Correlations of Reduced Glutathione and Glutathione Peroxidase Activities with Biochemical Markers of Liver and Kidney Damage in Trypanosoma brucei brucei Infected Rats

Abstract

The correlations of reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels with biochemical markers of liver and
kidney damage in Trypanosoma brucei infection were studied in rats. Forty adult male rats divided into 2 groups of control and
infected were used. Infected rats were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1.0 ml of blood at concentration of 1 x 10⁶ trypanosomes
per ml. Serum and tissue samples were collected on days 0, 3, 5 and 7 post-infection (pi) for biochemical analyses. Serum GPx
activity had a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlations with liver (r = 0.96) and kidney GSH (r = 0.93) levels. All the measured
serum parameters had significant (p < 0.05) negative correlations with serum GPx activity. In conclusion infection of rats with
T. b. brucei caused a decrease in the serum GPx activities and organ GSH levels with increasing parasitaemia and duration of
the infection.

Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei brucei; Oxidative stress; Glutathione peroxidase; Glutathione; Liver and kidney function