Specific antibody levels and antigenic recognition of Wistar rats inoculated with distinct isolates of Trypanosoma evansi

"Mal de Cadeiras", an enzootic disease caused by Trypanosoma evansi, is one of the most important trypanosomiases in the Brazilian Pantanal region. Th e disease affects mainly horses, which are widely used in extensive cattle production, an activity of greatest economical significance for the region. The parasite also infects sylvan (coatis and capybaras) and domestic (dogs ) animals, respectively considered wild and domestic reservoirs of T. evans i. For a better understanding of the interaction of T. evansi with its rode nt host, we evaluated the differences in the specific antibody level patter ns and in the parasitic peptides recognition patterns of experimentally inf ected Wistar rats. The rats experimentally infected with T. evansi isolates obtained from coatis, dogs and horses were submitted to indirect immunoflu orescence test (IgM e IgG) and Western blotting. The serological titers for IgM and IgG ranged between 1:40 and 1:160. The most recognized polypeptide profiles were in a range of 17 and 74 kDa. Our data suggest that the humor al immune response in Wistar rats is not sufficient for granting an effecti ve control of T. evansi infections.