Eperythrozoon infection in swine: effect on the acid-base balance and the glucose, lactate and pyruvate content of venous blood

The influence of latent and of splenectomy-induced clinically manifest Eperythrozoon suis infection on the following parameters of the carbohydrate metabolism and the acid-base status was tested in venous blood of German Landrace pigs: Levels of glucose, lactic and pyruvic acid, blood-pH, base excess, actual bicarbonate concentration, standard bicarbonate concentration, pCO2, pO2. The latent E. suis infection resulted in a consistent decrease of blood glucose level. 23 days after infection, blood glucose was reduced by 25% of the initial value. The other parameters were not changed by latent E. suis infection. Acute Eperythrozoonosis induced severe hypoglycaemia (means Gluc, = 39.7 mg/dl and blood acidosis (means pH = 7.13). In vitro experiments showed that break-down of glucose in E. suis infected blood occurs very rapidly. There was no significant reduction of the glucose concentration in control blood that had been treated accordingly. There was an increase of lactic acid (means = 62.7 mg/dl), pyruvic acid (means = 1.86 mg/dl), and pCO2 (means = 82.1 mm Hg). The concentrations of actual bicarbonate (means = 24.8 mmol/l) and standard bicarbonate (means = 20.9 mmol/l) were lowered, and there was a negative base excess (means = -3.56 mmol/l). The ratio of lactic and pyruvic acid changed from 11:1 to 30:1. It seems likely that E. suis itself is able to metabolize glucose. Acidosis is considered to result from both the increase of lactic acid (metabolic component) and an impairment of pulmonary gas exchange (respiratory component).