Abstract
Babesia microti, a protozoan parasite of mammalian erythrocytes was obtained from the blood of an infected human and maintained in golden hamsters, in which a parasitemia of 70% was obtained regularly. The hamsters' response-a subacute, hemolytic anemia-was studied with regard to oxygen affinity and red cell organic phosphate content. In addition, the reduced glutathione status of infected erythrocytes was observed because of the possible importance of this metabolite to parasite growth and red cell integrity. Infected animals developed a severe anemia with reticulocytosis; there occurred a 4-mm decrease in whole blood oxygen affinity without any change in erythrocytes' 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels. The glutathione content of the infected animals' erythrocytes increased twofold during the course of the infection. In uninfected animals, in which anemia and reticulocytosis had been produced by bleeding, all changes seen in infected animals were reproduced. It was concluded that the changes in the infected animals were due to the anemia and reticulocytosis alone, and that the parasite played no role in these changes apart from being a cause of anemia and reticulocytosis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 116-123 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Experimental Parasitology |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1981 |
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Keywords
- 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate
- Babesia microti
- Erythrocyte
- Glutathione
- Hamster, golden
- Hemoglobin
- Oxygen affinity
- Protozoa, parasitic
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology
- Parasitology
- Infectious Diseases
Cite this
Babesia microti : Biochemistry and function of hamster erythrocytes infected from a human source. / Roth, Eugene F.; Tanowitz, Herbert; Wittner, Murray; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Hsieh, Hsin S.; Neumann, Gertrude; Nagel, Ronald L.
In: Experimental Parasitology, Vol. 51, No. 1, 1981, p. 116-123.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Babesia microti
T2 - Biochemistry and function of hamster erythrocytes infected from a human source
AU - Roth, Eugene F.
AU - Tanowitz, Herbert
AU - Wittner, Murray
AU - Ueda, Yoshihiro
AU - Hsieh, Hsin S.
AU - Neumann, Gertrude
AU - Nagel, Ronald L.
PY - 1981
Y1 - 1981
N2 - Babesia microti, a protozoan parasite of mammalian erythrocytes was obtained from the blood of an infected human and maintained in golden hamsters, in which a parasitemia of 70% was obtained regularly. The hamsters' response-a subacute, hemolytic anemia-was studied with regard to oxygen affinity and red cell organic phosphate content. In addition, the reduced glutathione status of infected erythrocytes was observed because of the possible importance of this metabolite to parasite growth and red cell integrity. Infected animals developed a severe anemia with reticulocytosis; there occurred a 4-mm decrease in whole blood oxygen affinity without any change in erythrocytes' 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels. The glutathione content of the infected animals' erythrocytes increased twofold during the course of the infection. In uninfected animals, in which anemia and reticulocytosis had been produced by bleeding, all changes seen in infected animals were reproduced. It was concluded that the changes in the infected animals were due to the anemia and reticulocytosis alone, and that the parasite played no role in these changes apart from being a cause of anemia and reticulocytosis.
AB - Babesia microti, a protozoan parasite of mammalian erythrocytes was obtained from the blood of an infected human and maintained in golden hamsters, in which a parasitemia of 70% was obtained regularly. The hamsters' response-a subacute, hemolytic anemia-was studied with regard to oxygen affinity and red cell organic phosphate content. In addition, the reduced glutathione status of infected erythrocytes was observed because of the possible importance of this metabolite to parasite growth and red cell integrity. Infected animals developed a severe anemia with reticulocytosis; there occurred a 4-mm decrease in whole blood oxygen affinity without any change in erythrocytes' 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels. The glutathione content of the infected animals' erythrocytes increased twofold during the course of the infection. In uninfected animals, in which anemia and reticulocytosis had been produced by bleeding, all changes seen in infected animals were reproduced. It was concluded that the changes in the infected animals were due to the anemia and reticulocytosis alone, and that the parasite played no role in these changes apart from being a cause of anemia and reticulocytosis.
KW - 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate
KW - Babesia microti
KW - Erythrocyte
KW - Glutathione
KW - Hamster, golden
KW - Hemoglobin
KW - Oxygen affinity
KW - Protozoa, parasitic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0019531508&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0019531508&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0014-4894(81)90048-5
DO - 10.1016/0014-4894(81)90048-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 7461085
AN - SCOPUS:0019531508
VL - 51
SP - 116
EP - 123
JO - Experimental Parasitology
JF - Experimental Parasitology
SN - 0014-4894
IS - 1
ER -