Abstract

Background:
Giardiasis is one of the most common intestinal parasites affecting young mammals, birds, and humans. Giardiasis is also frequently associated with the malabsorption of nutrients, particularly iron. However, the effects of Giardia lamblia on iron metabolism and overall inflammation in the host have not been fully understood.

Aim:
This study aimed to investigate giardiasis in experimentally infected young rats and its impact on the systemic response of the host following the parasite clearance from the intestine. More specifically, this study focuses on the body’s iron regulation, the response of the protein hepcidin, and the body’s metabolites.

Methods:
A total of 36 weaned, young male Wistar rats were assigned to one of the following 3 groups: uninfected control, infected with G. lamblia in the acute phase (day 7), and post-infected phase (day 21). All rats in the infected groups received 1×106 G. lamblia trophozoites by oral gavage. Biochemical parameters of interest in the blood and serum of all rats were determined. These were iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation, ferritin, hepcidin, erythropoietin (EPO), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), albumin, and prealbumin. The metabolites of interest were kynurenine, citrulline, trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), lactate, succinate, and SCFAs. The metabolites were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Results:
The infected groups had significantly lower serum iron, transferrin saturation, albumin, and citrulline (p

Key words: Cobalamin; Enterocyte function; Erythropoiesis; Hypoferremia; Mitochondrial stress.