Evaluation Of pH And Osmolality In The Small Intestines Of Rats (Rattus Norvegicus) And Chickens (Gallus Gallus) Experimentally Infected With Trichinella Zimbabwensis

Abstract

In order to evaluate the levels of pH and osmolality in the establishment and survival of T. zimbabwensis, 10 weeks old male rats (Rattus norvegicus) and 3 weeks old chicks (Gallus gallus) were each subdivided into four groups. Group 2 and group 4 were fed muscle tissue containing 1000 infective L1 stage larvae, while group 1 and 3 were used as controls. Using a standardized post-prandial time, the rats in group 1 and 2 were sacrificed on days 2, 5, 7 and 10 p. i and chickens in groups 3 and 4 on day 2 and 5 p. i.

Significant increase (p<0.05) in pH in the anterior segment was observed at day 5 p. i in rats. In the posterior segment of infected rats, there was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in pH at day 2 p. i and a significant increase (p<0.05) at day 5, 7 and 10 p. i when compared to the controls. There were no significant pH differences (p>0.05) in chickens.

In infected rats, osmolality of the anterior segment of the small intestine increased significantly (p<0.05) at day 2 p. i before declining at day 5 p. i and in the posterior section, osmolality significantly increased at day 2 p. i. The increase in osmolality levels in chickens at day 2 and at day 5 p. i was not significant (p>0.05).

It may be concluded that in Trichinella infection, luminal pH and osmolality are altered at certain stages of the parasite’s life cycle in the small intestine and this alteration is probably crucial for the establishment and survival of the parasite.