Effects of melarsamine hydrochloride (Cymelarsan®) and diminazene aceturate (Berenil®) on the pathology of experimental Trypanosoma brucei infection in red fronted gazelles (Gazella rufifrons)

An experimental infection of red fronted gazelles (Gazella rufifrons) with Trypanosoma brucei strain MKAR/84/NITR/6 was carried out. Two waves of parasitaemia which corresponded with a significant decline (p < 0.05) in packed cell volume (PCV) was encountered in the infected untreated controls and those treated at day 8 post-infection with a sub-optimal dosage of diminazene aceturate (Berenil®) at 3.5 mg/kg body weight. At postmortem, hepatomegally, splenomegally, lymphadenopathy, nephritis, myocardial degeneration with pulmonary oedema was observed in the two groups. Similarly, histopathological studies of some organs revealed interstitial haemorrhages, severe degenerative changes with cellular infiltrations. On the other hand, those treated by day 8 post-infection with melarsamine hydrochloride (Cymelarsan®) at 0.3 mg/kg, 0.6 mg/kg or diminazene aceturate (Berenil®) at 7.0 mg/kg body weight had apparently normal organs at the end of the experiment. These results suggest that, T. brucei can cause severe pathological changes in untreated red fronted gazelles (Gazella rufifrons). However, treatments at the onset of parasitaemia, by day 8 post-infection with melarsamine hydrochloride (Cymelarsan®) at 0.3 and 0.6 mg/kg or diminazene aceturate (Berenil®) at 7.0 mg/kg body weight ameliorated the deleterious effects of the infection in the gazelles.