Abstract

Summary: Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) is a devastating protozoan disease of animals and humans caused by Trypanosoma spp resulting in a great economic loss in the livestock industries, in the sub-sahara Africa. Cardiac troponin I is released from myocytes in both reversible and irreversible myocardial injuries. This study investigated the expression of cardiac troponin I (cTn I) in dogs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense. Fifteen mongrel dogs of both sexes and with average body weights of 9.3 kg were divided into three groups (A, B and C). Dogs in group A were uninfected, group B were infected but untreated, while group C were infected and treated with Diminazene aceturate at a single dose of 3.5 mg/kg intramuscularly. The serum cTn I concentrations in infected dogs were elevated on days 1, 10 and 17 post-infection (pi). Serum cTn I concentrations in dogs that were infected and treated decreased on day 5 post-treatment (day 22 pi) compared to those that were infected but not treated. Post mortem and histopathological findings in the heart of a dogs that died of the disease in the infected but not treated group revealed no visible lesions. We concluded that the elevation of cTn I in Mongrel breed of dogs occurred without structural damage to cardiac muscles.

Key words: Key words: Cardiac troponin I, T. congolense, infection, pathology, dogs