Osmotic fragility of sheep erythrocytes and alterations in their membrane constituents in Dictyocaulus filaria infection

Alterations in the sheep erythrocyte membrane constituents during the course of Dictyocaulus filaria infection were studied in 4–6 month old Nali lambs. During the acute course of infection, plasma cholesterol, membrane cholesterol, cholesterol: phospholipid ratio and acetylcholinesterase activity fell significantly when compared with uninfected controls. The onset of the fall in the values of these parameters was observed 1–2 weeks prior to an increase in the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes. The altered values persistently remained at sub-normal levels during the chronic stage of the infection. However, the membrane proteins and phospholipids of sheep erythrocytes remained unaffected during the entire period of study. The clinico-parasitological picture of the disease, as judged by the clinical course of disease, faecal larval output and necropsy worm recovery, was typical of ovine dictyocauliosis.