EVOLUTION OF GRASS-CUTTER (THRYONOMYS SWINDERIANUS) INFLAMMATION MARKERS - COMPARISON WITH RABBIT (ORYCTOLAGUS-CUNICULUS) AND RAT (RATTUS-NORVEGICUS)

An inflammatory reaction was induced in grass-cutters (Thryonomys swin derianus) by injecting turpentine. The changes in the plasma haptoglob in, fibrinogen, alpha(2) macroglobulin and immunoglobulin G was follow ed for 23 days by immunonephelometry. The results were compared to rat and rabbit. They showed that (a) the inflammatory reaction is delayed in the grass-cutter compared to rats and rabbits; (b) the concentrati on of haptoglobin increases less than in rat and rabbit; (c) the fibri nogen concentration is very low in the grass-cutter, despite hypercoag ulability of blood; (d) the changes in the plasma alpha(2)-macroglobul in in the grass-cutter seems to be comparable to that of rabbit alpha( 1) macroglobulin in amplitude and in its slow return to the initial co ncentration; and (e) fibrinogen and haptoglobin are suitable markers f or grass-cutter inflammation monitoring. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc .