Background: This study was carried out to determine the blood pressure changes in experimentally Trypanosoma brucei brucei-infected Wistar albino rats and diminazene aceturate-treated rats.
Methods: Twenty-four rats were purchased and divided into four groups consisting of six rats each. Control group (CON) received 0.5 mL of distilled water, i.m., infected but not treated group (INF) received 2×106 trypanosome/mL i.m., infected but diminazene aceturate-treated group (INFDIM) received 2×106 trypanosome/mL, 3.5 mg/kg, i.m.) and non-infected but diminazene aceturate-treated group (DIM) received 3.5 mg/kg, i.m. and served as negative control. The blood pressures were measured using a CODA 2® non-invasive blood pressure monitor (Kent Scientific, USA). The results were compiled and statistical analysis was done with significance set at p≥0.05.
Results: The values of the blood pressure readings of the Trypanosoma-infected INF (137.0±2.0 mmHg) and diminazene-treated rats INFDIM (125.0±7.5 mmHg) when compared to the control group (168.0±3.0 mmHg) were significantly lower (p≤0.05) at the end of day 7. The heart rate was also significantly reduced in the INF (403.5±1.5 beats/min) and DIM (445.0±24 beats/min) groups of rats when compared with the control group (613.0±2.0 beats/min) at the end of day 8.
Conclusion: The findings indicate the significant reduction in blood pressure and heart rates during Trypanosoma brucei brucei infection and with diminazene aceturate administration. Hence, caution should be exercised when treating trypanosome-infected patients with diminazene aceturate.
Keywords: Trypanosoma brucei brucei; blood pressure; diminazene aceturate; heart rate.