EVALUATION OF PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE PANCREAS OF BUCKS EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI
EVALUATION OF PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE PANCREAS OF BUCKS EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED WITH TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI
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Date
2012-09
Authors
NENSHI, Mka’ave Peter
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Abstract
In this study, the pathological changes in the pancreas of bucks experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei Federe strain were evaluated, based on the appearance of pancreatic lesions, serum glucose and insulin profiles in a 40-day experimental study. Fifteen Savannah Brown bucks, aged between 12 and 15 months were used for the study. They were randomized into three groups: A, B and C of five bucks each. Each buck in groups A and B was inoculated via the jugular vein with 1× 106 and 2 × 106 T. b. brucei respectively, while the bucks in the control group C, were each administered 1 ml of normal saline via the jugular vein. Parasitaemia in groups A and B appeared one day after infection. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the mean parasitaemia levels of the two groups at the end of the experiment. The mean packed cell volume (PCV) at the end of the experiment in groups A, B and C were: 19.5 ± 1.9%, 19.8 ± 3.0%, and 30.4 ± 2.3%, respectively. There was a statistical significant difference (p < 0.05) in the mean PCV among the groups at the end of the experiment. The clinical signs observed in the infected groups included intermittent pyrexia, pale ocular mucous membranes indicative of anaemia, lethargy, lymphadenopathy and death. The cumulative mean serum glucose concentrations of the bucks in groups A, B and C at the end of the experiment were: 2.90 ± 0.07 mmol/L, 2.88 ± 0.08 mmol/L and 2.62 ± 0.06 mmol/L, respectively. There was statistical significant increase (p < 0.05) in the cumulative mean serum glucose concentrations of the infected groups A and B when compared to the control group C. The cumulative mean serum insulin concentrations in groups A, B and C, at the end of the experiment were: 0.3642 ± 0.0395 μg/L, 0.3131 ± 0.0306 μg/L and 0.2192 ± 0.0128 μg/L, respectively. There was statistically significant increase (p < 0.01) in the cumulative mean serum insulin concentrations of the bucks in group A when compared with that
of the bucks in the control group C. The gross lesions observed in the T. b. brucei - infected bucks in groups A and B were similar. They included pale carcasses indicative of anaemia, pale pancreas, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly and hepatomegaly. No observable gross lesions were found in the organs from bucks of the control group C. The microscopic lesions observed in the pancreas of the T. b. brucei - infected bucks were dissimilar. In the infected group A bucks, focal degenerative changes were observed in the acinar cells and the islets of Langerhans, while in the infected group B bucks, diffused degenerative changes were observed in the acinar cells and the islets of Langerhans. There were no observable microscopic lesions in the pancreases of the control bucks. The study showed that experimental T. b. brucei infection in bucks produced clinical disease, degenerative changes in the pancreatic acinar cells and the islets of Langerhans, and a concurrent increase in serum glucose and insulin concentrations. Further research into evaluation of pathological changes in the pancreas of other animals such as dogs, experimentally infected with T. b. brucei is recommended.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN VETERINARY PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF VETERINARY PATHOLOGY, FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
Keywords
EVALUATION,, PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES,, PANCREAS OF BUCKS,, EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED,, TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI