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Complement does not play a role in promotingBabesia rodhaini infections in Balb/C mice

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Abstract

A critical role of C3 and the C3b receptor for the erythrocyte invasion and the development of the parasitemia ofB. rodhaini in rats has been described recently (Jack and Ward 1980a). In the present study the influence of the C system onB. rodhaini infection in Balb/C mice is documented. Depletion of serum C3 to less than 5% of the normal level by treatment of mice with CoF, the C3 inactivator isolated from cobra venom, did not affect the course ofB. rodhaini parasitaemia. Treatment of mice with trypan blue, a reagent that inactivates the C3b receptor on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, inhibited the development of parasitemia. However, whenB. rodhaini parasitized erythrocytes were incubated in vitro with trypan blue and subsequently tested for the in vivo and in vitro replication of the parasites, this old-fashioned therapy for babesiosis in cattle showed its babesiacidal activity. This indicates that the inhibition of parasite development by trypan blue is caused by its parasitotoxicity. These data suggest that the C system does not play an essential role in the development ofB. rodhaini infection of the Balb/C mouse.

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Abbreviations

VSB:

veronal saline buffer, pH 7.4, containing 0.15 mM Ca2+ and 0.5 mM Mg2+

EDTA-GVB:

veronal saline buffer, containing 1 g gelatin/l and 10 mM EDTA

EDTA:

ethylenediamine/tetraacetic/acid

C:

complement

CoF:

cobra venom factor

E412 :

extinction at 412 nm

CH50 :

units of total hemolytic complement activity in serum

RaRBC:

rabbit red blood cells

PBS:

phosphate buffered saline

EAC1423 :

sheep erythrocytes coated with rabbit amboceptor and human complement components C1, C4, C2 and C3

S.D.:

standard deviation

SEM:

standard error of the mean

SRBC:

sheep red blood cells

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Pathology, State University of Utrecht, Biltstraat 172, 3572 BP, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Willem Seinen & Toon Stegmann

  2. Department of Tropical Medicine and Protozoology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, State University of Utrecht, Biltstraat 172, 3572 BP, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Henk Kuil

Authors
  1. Willem Seinen
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  2. Toon Stegmann
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  3. Henk Kuil
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Seinen, W., Stegmann, T. & Kuil, H. Complement does not play a role in promotingBabesia rodhaini infections in Balb/C mice. Z. Parasitenkd. 68, 249–257 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927403

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00927403

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