Abstract

BASTOS, Othon de Carvalho; BRITO, Maria Helena Seabra Soares de; SCHIAVOTELO, Maria Salete Sipauba  and  SOUZA, Eliane Pires de. Variation in the levels of the C₃ component of the complement in Holochilus brasiliensis nanus infected with Schistosoma mansoni. Rev. Saúde Pública [online]. 1984, vol.18, n.1, pp. 41-46. ISSN 0034-8910.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89101984000100004.

The quantitative immunoelectrophoretic method was used to determine the consumption of the C₃ component of the complement system in the sera of rodents (Holochilus brasiliensis nanus) infected with Schistosoma mansoni, during about eight weeks of observation. Normal animals were used as experimental controls. The results indicated that initial consumption of the C₃ component in the infected animals was twice that of the controls. This level was maintained until the 6th week of observation. After the 6^th week, the consumption of C₃ was³ to 4 times greater than that of the controls.

Keywords : Holochilus brasiliensis nanus; Schistosoma mansoni; Experimental infection; Wild rodents.