Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Enzymes Activity of Wistar Rats Experimentally Infected with Leptospira interrogans

ABSTRACT

Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with world-wide distribution, caused by various serovars of Leptospira interrogans and is presumed to be the most widespread zoonosis. Hematological and biochemical changes associated with renal and hepatic pathology are commonly observed in leptospirosis. All leptospires are aerobes and therefore might be expected to generate peroxides during respiration. Enzymatic reduction of H 2 0 2 by leptospires has been reported by researchers. The pathogenesis may be related to direct effects of leptospiral compounds or inflammatory response due to oxidative stress. The present investigation was designed to study the lipid peroxidation and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in rats experimentally infected with L. interrogans . Materials, Methods & Results: Fifty four male adult rats (Wistar) specific pathogen free, weighing in average 200 grams were used. Rats were divided in nine groups, six animals each group, eight infected groups and one as not infected. Inoculation was performed intraperitoneally (Day 1), using different serovars of L. interrogans distributed by groups hardjo (group A), wolffi (group B), grippotyphosa (group C), canicola (group D), Icterohaemorrhagiae (group E), bratislava (group F), pomona (group G) and butembo (group H) . Group I was composed by not-infected rats, serving as the negative control group. On day 15 PI all animals were anesthetized with isoflurane for blood collection and subsequently decapitated. Liver, spleen, kidney and brain were collected from all animals. Blood was allocated in tube without anticoagulant for serum acquisition to measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Lipid peroxidation (TBARS levels), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and non-protein thiols (NPSH) were measured in the liver, spleen and kidney, and TBARS were also evaluated in serum and brain. [...]