UTILIZAÇÃO DA HEMOGLOBINA COMO ADJUVANTE DURANTE INFECÇÃO EXPERIMENTAL EM EQÜINOS, VIA INTRAPERITONERAL, COM Escherichia coli E/OU Bacteroides fragilis.

Abstract

The goals of this study were to evaluate if hemoglobin played a role as adjuvant in experimental peritonitis in horses and could cause clinical and haematological alterations that could be used for diagnosis and prognosis of cases of peritonitis. Fifteen adult horses were randomly divided into 5 equal groups, which were injected intraperitoneally with the following suspension: GI: 1x10 9 colony-forming units (CFU) of E. coli diluted in 500 mL of 0.9% saline solution plus 5 g of hemoglobin; GII: 1x10 9 CFU of B. fragilis diluted in 500 mL of 0.9% saline plus 5 g of hemoglobin; GIII: 1x10 9 CFU of E. coli in combination with 1x10 9 CFU of B. fragilis diluted in 500 ml of 0.9% of saline plus 5 g of hemoglobin; GIV: 500 mL of 0.9% saline plus 5 g of hemoglobin and GV: 500 mL of 0.9% saline. Leukopenia with neutropenia was observed in GI and GIII and a significant increase in plasma fibrinogen concentration occurred in horses of GI. There was a significant increase in total nucleated cell count in peritoneal fluid in horses of GI, GII, GIII and GIV. Fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, abdominal wall sensibility and tension, diarrhoea, colic, and decreased borborygmi sounds were the most frequent clinical signs observed in horses of GI, GII, GIII and GIV. In conclusion, hemoglobin was able to cause chemical peritonitis in horses, it had an adjuvant effect when associated to E. coli in experimental peritonitis in horses potentiating pathogenic effects of E. coli, but was not lethal to horses. KEY-WORDS: Peritonitis. Horses. Escherichia coli. Bacteroides fragilis. Hemoglobin.