Lysozyme Activity in the Plasma of Rodents Infected With Their Homologous Trypanosomes

BACKGROUND: In this study the concentration of lysozyme in blood plasma of Microtus agrestis, Clethrinomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred white mice before and after infection with culture forms of Trypanosoma microti, T, evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively was measured. METHODS: Blood samples of rodents, Microtus agrestis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred mice infected with T. microti, T. evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively were collected in heparinized micro- tubes immediately before inoculation and 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 and more than 400 days after intra- perituneal inoculation with 5×10(5)of their homologous trypanosome parasites of which more than half were metacyclic trypomastigote in 0.2 ml of culture medium. Micro- tubes were centrifuged and plasma samples were separated and the lysozyme activity was measured by the agar method. RESULTS: Levels of lysozyme rose rapidly three to six days after the inoculation to ten to twenty than their pre- infection levels. They then gradually decreased, although after more than one year they were still two to ten folds higher than controls. The highest level measured occurred in rats infected with T. lewisi and the lowest in A. sylvaticus infected with T. grosi. After one year the highest concentration of lysozyme was in mice infected with T. musculi and lowest in A. sylvaticus. CONCLUSION: Persistent enhanced lysozyme levels may prevent re- infection with trypanosomes.