The effects of a protein-restricted diet (8% protein, 81%
carbohydrate and 11% lipids) on
Schistosoma mansoni
infectivity, fecal egg excretion and intestinal egg distribution in Swiss
(SW) mice were studied. Pregnant mice received a deficient diet from the
middle of gestation until delivery. Seven-days-old mice were exposed to
50 cercariae (BH strain, Brazil). Offspring mice had a free access to the
deficient diet since lactation until adulthood. The controls were fed with
a commercial mice diet. A parasitological examination was performed between
six and eight weeks post-infection while both groups were necropsied one
week later. Mice on the experimental diet showed a significant loss in body
weight. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in pre-patent
period, kinetics of egg excretion and worm recovery from mice on either
diet. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found concerning to the
percentage of deposited eggs in the distal segment of the small intestine
from hosts on the experimental diet.
Our data suggest that experimental malnutrition induced for a long term
has no detrimental effect on the acute schistosomiais infection in SW mice.
