Erythrocytic antioxidant defense, lipid peroxides level and blood iron, zinc and copper concentrations in dogs naturally infected with Babesia gibsoni

Babesiosis is a common tick borne disease of dogs in tropical and subtropical regions of the world caused by different species of Babesia. The present study aimed to examine erythrocyte lipid peroxide and erythrocytic antioxidant levels in dogs with clinical babesiosis, caused by Babesia gibsoni, and impact of the disease on blood iron, zinc and copper levels. The study was conducted on 10 naturally occurring cases of canine babesiosis with the history of tick infestation, erratic pyrexia, and prolonged illness. Microscopic examination of Giemsa stained peripheral blood smears confirmed B. gibsoni infection in the erythrocytes. Six apparently healthy dogs of different age, sex and breeds, brought for either health checkup or vaccination were used for comparison. Levels of erythrocytic antioxidant enzymes were significantly (P < 0.01) higher in sick dogs than those of cytologically negative dogs (catalase: 0.192 ± 0.024 units/mg Hb vs 0.074 ± 0.004 units/mg Hb; superoxide dismutase: 0.014 ± 0.0009 units/mg Hb vs 0.006 ± 0.0008 units/mg Hb and lipid peroxide: 6.01 ± 0.30 nmol MDA/mg Hb vs 1.89 ± 0.10 nmol MDA/mg Hb). The levels of blood micronutrients were significantly low in these dogs (iron: 89.87 ± 8.12 μg/g vs 126.44 ± 14.65 μg/g; zinc: 3.67 ± 1.85 μg/g vs 5.62 ± 1.83 μg/g and copper: 0.55 ± 0.63 μg/g vs 0.65 ± 0.04 μg/g). The study demonstrated oxidative damage in dogs naturally infected with B. gibsoni. Low level of blood iron, zinc and copper seems to have an additional role in the genesis of anaemia and oxidative stress.