Alteration of Free Serum Amino Acids in Voles Infected with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense

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Abstract
Free serum amino acid pools of field voles Microtus montanus, were determined over a 24 h period, and compared to values obtained from voles infected with T. brucei gambiense. The majority of amino acids in the control animals demonstrated a diurnal variation, peaking predominantly during the dark phase. This trend was not evident in infected animals. Infected voles possessed an apparent stage of hypoaminoacidemia, with levels of threonine, serine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine and tryptophan typically below uninfected values. Alanine and proline, were markedly increased at certain time points. Tyrosine (reduced by .apprx. 50%) and tryptophan (reduced to levels below detection) underwent the most pronounced drop in trypanosome-infected animals, indicating the possibility of a related alteration in pools of derivative biogenic amines in other tissues. This suggests a role for the latter 2 amino acids in the neuropsychiatric syndromes of African trypanosomiasis.