Previous investigations showed that Schistosoma mansoni
infection aggravates protein malabsorption in undernourished mice and
this can be reverted by administration of casein hydrolysate. The
present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of ingestion of
casein hydrolysate for long periods. Albino Swiss mice were divided
into eight groups. Diets contained 5% (undernourished ) or 20%
(controls) casein levels. For each group there were sub-groups
ingesting whole or hydrolysed casein for 12 weeks. Infection with
S. mansoni developed in half of the animals under each diet.
All undernourished mice developed malabsorption. Low albuminemia was
detected in infected animals independently of the protein level in the
diet. However, albuminemia was lower in infected controls than in
undernourished non-infected mice, suggesting a deficient liver protein
synthesis. Infected mice fed on a 20% protein hydrolysed diet
exhibited low weight gain and high mortality rates. On the other hand,
non-infected mice ingesting the same diet had the highest body
weights. We are investigating the hypothesis that infected mice, even
when fed normal diets, are unable to metabolise large amounts of amino
acids due to the liver lesions related to schistosomiasis and as a
result die of hepatic coma. In some of them, the excessive
accumulation of ammonia in the blood enhances the outcome of an
encephalopathy.
