Physiological, Biochemical, and Liver Enzyme Alterations in Albino Rats Experimentally Infected with Echinococcus granulosus
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v12i3.2192Keywords:
Echinococcus granulosus, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis, Endonucleases, Biomarkers, Liver Function Tests, Rats, AlbinoAbstract
Objective: This study evaluated physiological, biochemical, and liver enzyme changes in rats experimentally infected with Echinococcus granulosus through two infection routes.
Methods: Fifty-four male rats were allocated into three groups: orally infected with E. granulosus eggs, intraperitoneally inoculated with protoscoleces, and uninfected controls. Infection was confirmed after four months using molecular methods. Serum ALT, AST, vitamin K2, lipid-profile parameters, and creatinine were measured using commercial assay kits.
Results: PCR amplification and PCR-RFLP analysis confirmed the presence of E. granulosus in infected animals. Triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in both infected groups compared with controls. ALT, LDL, and vitamin K2 levels were significantly increased in infected groups, whereas HDL was significantly elevated mainly in the orally infected group. AST, total cholesterol, and creatinine showed no significant differences among groups. Most biomarker correlations were weak to moderate.
Conclusion: Experimental E. granulosus infection induced changes in selected lipid and liver-related biochemical markers in rats. The findings indicate potential route-dependent effects on lipid metabolism; however, further investigations involving histopathology, cyst-burden evaluation, sequencing of representative tissue samples, and diagnostic accuracy assessment are needed.
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