The influence of the regional basic diet from northeast Brazil on health and nutritional conditions of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 13 - 20
• Main Authors: Coutinho, E M, de Freitas, L P, Abath, F G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 1992; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical - SBMT; Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT)
• Subjects: Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Body weight; Brazil; Camundongos; Diet; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Food; Male; Malnutrition; Mice; Má-nutrição; Protein-Energy Malnutrition - metabolism; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis mansoni - metabolism; TROPICAL MEDICINE; Weaning; Weight Gain; Brazil; Schistosoma mansoni; Mice; Má-nutrição; Malnutrition; Camundongos; Protein
• ISSN: 0037-8682; 1678-9849; 0037-8682; 1678-9849
• DOI: 10.1590/S0037-86821992000100003

Protein nutritional status indicators were studied in weanling albino Swiss mice infected with S. mansoni and fed the Regional Basic Diet (RBD) from Northeast Brazil, a multideficient diet of low-protein content. Each mouse was infected percutaneously with 80 cercariae. The experiment lasted 63 days. The growth curve, food consumption, protein intake, weight gain, Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and Net Protein Ratio (NPR) were the parameters investigated. RBD-fed mice showed a marked weight loss, a lower food and protein intake, a slower body weight gain and lower rates of food protein utilization when compared to casein-fed animals. Differences between infected and non-infected mice were not consistent. The present results suggest that the effects of RBD-induced malnutrition on health and nutritional conditions of the mice are more severe than those of Manson's schistosomiasis, in the initial phase of the disease.