HYPERGLYCEMIA AND IMPAIRED ORAL GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN ACUTE TRYPANOSOMA-BRUCEI INFECTION OF RATS

Trypanosoma brucei (Federe strain) produced an acute infection in rats given 10(6) parasites intraperitoneally. Parasitaemia, which first ap peared at 2 days post-infection (pi), was heavy from day 5 until death at 8 to 12 days pi. The fasting tail-blood glucose (FBG) concentratio ns in the infected rats increased significantly (P<0.05) from 2.73+/-0 .14 mmol/l on day 0 pi to 6.21+/-0.16 mmol/l and 5.93+/-0.33 mmol/l on days 5 and 8, respectively. However, the values had decreased in most of the rats on day 11 pi, at which time 4 out of 12 had less than 0 5 mmol/l. The mean FBG showed a quadratic relationship with the duratio n of infection and the fitted curve had a high goodness of fit (r(2) = 0.98). Oral glucose tolerance was impaired in the infected rats on da ys 5, 8 and 11 pi. Tail-blood glucose concentration was determined 2 h after the intake of glucose (1.0 g/kg). The mean percentage increases in blood glucose from the FBG concentrations were significantly (P<0. 05) higher in the infected than in uninfected rats. There was a positi ve correlation (r = 1.0) between the mean percentage increases and the duration of infection. It seems probable, therefore, that the deliver y of glucose into the tissues was reduced, with other metabolic implic ations likely to affect the pathogenesis of the disease. (C) 1998 W.B. Saunders Company Limited.