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Amelioration of virulent Babesia bovis infection in calves by administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor aminoguanidine
Author(s) -
Gale Kr,
Waltisbuhl Dj,
Bowden Jm,
Jorgensen Wk,
J Matheson,
I.J. East,
H. Zakrzewski,
G. Leatch
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-3024.1998.00169.x
Subject(s) - babesia bovis , nitric oxide , babesiosis , nitric oxide synthase , biology , virulence , babesia bigemina , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , endocrinology , biochemistry , gene
Calves undergoing initial infection with a virulent strain of the haemoprotozoan parasite Babesia bovis were treated with aminoguanidine (AG), an inhibitor of the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The mean maximum parasitaemia of the AG treated calves was significantly lower than that of the control cattle. In addition, the febrile response and decrease in packed cell volume (PCV) observed during acute infection were significantly ameliorated in the AG treated cattle relative to the controls. However, AG had no effect on the multiplication of B. bovis in the microaerophilous stationary‐phase (MASP) in‐vitro culture system. These results provide evidence of a role for nitric oxide (NO) produced in response to acute infection in the pathology of bovine babesiosis .