Activities of adenine nucleotide and nucleoside degradation enzymes in platelets of rats infected by Trypanosoma evansi

Nucleotide and nucleoside-degrading enzymes, such as nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrose (NTPDase), 5′-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase (ADA) are present in the surface membranes of platelets, involved in clotting disturbances of Trypanosoma evansi-infected animals. Thus, this study was aimed at evaluating the activities of these enzymes in platelets of rats experimentally infected with T. evansi. Animals were divided into four groups, according to the level of parasitemia. Blood samples were collected on days 3 (group A: at the beginning of parasitemia), 5 (group B: high parasitemia) and 15 (group C: chronic infection), post-infection. Group D (control group) was composed of non-infected animals for platelet count, separation and enzymatic assays. Animals from groups A and B showed marked thrombocytopenia, but platelet count was not affected in chronically infected rats. NTPDase, 5′-nucleotidase and ADA activities decreased (p < 0.05) in platelets from rats of groups A and B, when compared to the control group. In group C, only NTPDase and 5′-nucleoside activities decreased (p < 0.001). The correlations between platelet count and nucleotide/nucleoside hydrolysis were positive and statistically significant (p < 0.05) in groups A and B. Platelet aggregation was decreased in all infected groups, in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the alterations observed in the activities of NTPDase, 5′-nucleotidase and ADA in platelets of T. evansi-infected animals might be related to thrombocytopenia, that by reducing the number of platelets, there was less release of ATP and ADP. Another possibility being suggested is that changes have occurred in the membrane of these cells, decreasing the expression of these enzymes in the cell membrane.