Dietary factors affecting the pathogenicity of Entamoeba histolytica in rats

Abstract
Weanling rats given protein deficient diets for 2 to 4 weeks and then infected intracaecally with Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites showed a greater susceptibility to infection compared with controls. The proportion of infected animals that developed caecal ulceration was also increased. Supplementation of the low protein diet with extra carbohydrate produced an even greater infection rate but the likelihood of caecal ulceration was lower. No relationship between amoebic infection and the bacterial flora or pH of the caecum was noted, however the redox potential was lower in those animals that developed ulceration. The possible mechanisms involved are discussed together with the relevance of these findings to human amoebiasis.