THE EFFECTS OF PROTEIN-MALNUTRITION AND EXPERIMENTAL-INFECTION WITH TRYPANOSOMA-BRUCEI ON GOSSYPOL TREATMENT IN THE RAT - HEMATOLOGICAL ANDSERUM BIOCHEMICAL-CHANGES

This study was designed to evaluate the interaction between protein ma lnutrition, gossypol treatment and blood parasitosis (Trypanosoma bruc ei) in the Wistar rat. Haematological and serum biochemical changes we re evaluated in the rats, which were placed on two planes of nutrition -low protein (LP) and normal protein (NP)-and either treated with goss ypol or infected with Trypanosoma brucei, or both. Higher parasitaemia occurred in gossypol-treated NP rats than in the corresponding LP gro up. Gossypol treatment and trypanosomal infection, either alone or in concert, caused an anaemia that was both macrocytic and hypochromic. B oth treatments together also caused increases in serum alkaline phosph atase and alanine aminotransferase activities, which were accompanied by depressed serum albumin concentrations, suggestive of hepatic dysfu nction in affected rats. These results suggest that, with adequate pro tein intake, the growth and infectivity of trypanosomes is not inhibit ed by gossypol but that protein malnutrition has a beneficial effect o f reducing parasitaemia. Unfortunately, this beneficial effect is coun teracted by gossypol enhancement of hepatic dysfunction caused by tryp anosomes.