Effect of nutrition on the red blood cells of Trypanosome-infected female rats

Trypanosomiasis is of great interest to farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa.  It is a disease that retards agricultural development in general and needs urgent attention.  It has been noted that it causes aneamia in its host which often may lead to death.  Many researches showed that dietary supplement can enhance trypanotolerance in various hosts.  Diet is important in modulating the severity of its pathophysiological effects and can also influence the rate of recovery.  Using a control diet (Diet 1)) was only chicks’ mash. this research was conducted to determine the effect of moderate protein (mixture of 250 g of corn meal, 240 g of soyabean meal and 10 g of crayfish meal in chicks’ marsh (Diet 2)), high dietary protein (mixture of 400 g of caseinogen and 300 g of soyabean meal in chicks’ mash (Diet 3)) and high dietary carbohydrate (mixture of 400 g of dextrose and 300 g of corn meal in chicks’ mash (Diet 4)) supplementation on rodent trypanomiasis.  Diet 1 was used to feed rats in Cage A, Diet 2 was used to feed rats in Cage B, Diet 3 was used to feed rats in Cage C while Diet 4 was used to feed rats in Cage D.  At the end of the experiment, it was observed that rats fed with Diet 2 (moderate protein diet) had the highest and significantly different (P < 0.05) red blood cell count than other treatments.  This indicated that adequate nutrition reduces the effect of trypanosome and hence trypanotolerance in rats since trypanosome is known to attack red blood cells and vascular endothelium.