Trypanosoma lewisi: comparative activity of a feral isolate in two strains of rats assessed by measurement of cell population, reproductive development and respiratory activity.

Lee C. M., Harris L. M. and Aboko-Cole G. F. 1978. Trypanosoma lewisi: comparative activity of a feral isolate in two strains of rats assessed by measurement of cell population, reproductive development and respiratory activity. International Journal for Parasitclogy8: 187–192. Comparative respiratory behaviour, population growth and host antibody formation were examined for a feral isolate of Trypanosoma lewisi grown in albino and black rats. Oxygen uptake was measured for endogenous, glucose or normal homologous rat serum substrates. Trypanosomes from albino rats respired 72% faster endogenously, 70% faster with glucose, and 60% faster with rat serum than parasites from black rats. Greater oxygen consumption of T. lewisi from albino rat hosts correlated well with the fact that the trypanosome developed greater parasitemias in albino than in black rats. Parasitemias were patent longer in albino rats and peak populations were found 2 days later in these hosts than in black rats. On the average, higher coefficients of variability in cell length continued five days longer in albino rats than in black animals. Delay in reproductive development was indicated by continued low variability in trypanosome cell sizes in albino and black rats.