ARS | Publication request: ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF PUTRESCINE INHIBITS CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM INFECTIONOF NEONATAL C57BL-6 MICE AND IS INDEPENDENT OF NITRIC OXIDE (NO) SYNTHESIS

Submitted to: Research Workers in Animal Diseases Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 6, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: We examined the efficacy of oral administration of putrescine (a byproduct of arginine metabolism) in the prevention of C. parvum infection of C57BL-6 mice. Mice were challenged with the parasite at 7 days of age. Mice receiving putrescine twice daily from 3 through 21 days of age did not become infected. Mice receiving putrescine twice daily from 3 through 10 days of age had a delayed pattern of infection, as compared with control mice. We also tested the hypothesis that putrescine inhibited C. parvum infection by enhancing nitric oxide (NO) production. Mice receiving the NO inhibitor Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) had a greater severity of infection than did mice treated with phosphate buffered saline solution. However, mice receiving both L-NAME and putrescine did not become infected with C. parvum. Thus, while inhibition of NO synthesis enhanced C. parvum infection, putrescine appeared to inhibit infection in a NO-independent manner.