The effect of oral magnesium chloride supplementation on the pathogenicity of T. brucei brucei and T. congolense infections in rats

Abstract

Eighty healthy adult albino rats of either sex weighing between 190 – 200 grams were used to assess the effect of oral magnesium chloride (MgCl2) (at 50mg/kg body weight) supplementation on the severity of T. b. brucei (lafia strain) or T. congolense (Karu strain) infections. Two studies were carried out and the rats were divided into 4 groups of 10 rats each (per study) namely: Group A (uninfected, unsupplemented control), Group B (supplemented with magnesium chloride), Group C (T.b. brucei or T. congolense infected, 1 x 106 trypanosomes and supplemented) and Group D (T.b. brucei or T. congolense, infected, 1 x 106 trypanosomes and unsupplemented). Each rat in groups B and c received approximately 0.01ml of MgCl2 intragastrically daily for 8 days before and during the course of the infection. The prepatent periods, survival times and levels of anaemia in the T.b. brucei or T. congolense infected supplemented rats were comparable (P > 0.05) with those of the T.b. brucei or T. congolense infected unsupplemented. However, parasitaemia, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the rats infected with T.b. brucei or T. congolense and unsupplemented. The MgCl2 at 50 mg/kg body weight has not exhibited any significant effects on the severity of T.b. brucei (lafia strain) or T. congolense (karu strain) infections in rats. There is the need to try higher doses of the agent and possibly determine bioavailability of the MgCl2 in subsequent studies.
Key words: Magnesium chloride; Supplementation; Trypanosomes; Pathogenicity; Rats.