Beneficial effect of erythropoietin administration on murine infection with Trypanosoma congolense
Suzuki, T.; Ueta, Y.Yanagimoto.; Inoue, N.; Xuan, X.; Saitoh, H.; Suzuki, H.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 74(6): 1020-1025
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9637 PMID: 16760514 Document Number: 600072
The effect of erythropoietin treatment on Trypanosoma congolense infection in mice was studied. Survival rates of mice were dramatically improved by treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (r-hu-EPO; 5000 U/kg) when infected with 1,000 cells of T. congolense IL3000 (P<0.05). All the untreated mice infected with T. congolense IL3000 died by day 9 of infection; however, 100%, 50%, and 25% of the mice treated with r-hu-EPO for 8 days survived to day 20, day 40, and day 60 of the parasitical infection, respectively. Anti-8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine antibody, a biomarker for oxidative damage of DNA, yielded positive reactions in the cytoplasm of the parasites recovered from the mice treated with r-hu-EPO. These results, taken together, indicate that erythropoietin administration is effective for the treatment of T. congolense infection.