Comparative Analysis Of Amyloid A In Brain And Pancreas Of Male Rats During Diabetes And Leishmania Infection

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a key acute-phase protein associated with inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and infection. While SAA levels have been extensively studied in serum, little is known about its tissue-specific expression in metabolic and parasitic disease contexts. The purpose of this research was to examine the levels of SAA in brain and pancreatic tissues of diabetic and Leishmania donovani infected rats using an ELISA-based approach.

METHODS:Adult male rats were divided into four groups: control, diabetic (induced via alloxan, 130 mg/kg), Leishmania donovani infected (15 × 10⁶ promastigotes intraperitoneally), and co-infected diabetic rats. After four weeks, brain and pancreas tissues were harvested, homogenized, and analyzed for SAA concentrations using a commercial ELISA kit. Data were statistically compared between groups using one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS:Amyloid A levels varied across tissues and experimental conditions. In the brain, the highest accumulation was observed in co-infected rats, followed by diabetic and Leishmania-infected groups, relative to controls. Pancreatic amyloid levels increased in diabetic and Leishmania-infected rats but were lower in the co-infected group. Serum levels were slightly reduced in diseased groups compared to controls, with co-infected rats showing values close to baseline.

CONCLUSION:Diabetes and Leishmania infection, individually and in combination, influenced tissue-specific amyloid A accumulation, with the most notable elevation occurring in the brain during co-infection. These findings suggest differential inflammatory responses in peripheral and central tissues under metabolic and parasitic stress.