Abstract

We have investigated the action of sodium nitrite on the growth and morphologic changes of T. vaginalis and on the treatment of subcutaneous abscess by trichomonad in mice. Sodium nitrite inhibited the growth of metronidazole-sensitive KT9 isolate and metronidazole- resistant CDC85 strain of T. vaginalis as concentration of 6 mM and 10 mM, respectively. Intraperitoneal injection of sodium nitrite (70 micrograms, 100 micrograms, 130 micrograms/g body weight) did not reduce the size of abscess produced by subcutaneous inoculation of T. vaginalis in mice. T. vaginalis, treated with sodium nitrite at concentration giving about 50% inhibition of growth, showed fissures, many vacuoles and electron-translucent zone in the cytoplasm by transmission electron microscopy. In the case of CDC85 treated with 9 mM sodium nitrite, hydrogenosomal matrical change, destruction of hydrogenosomal membrane, autophagic vacuoles, disappearance of Golgi complex and polysome were notably observed. With above results, it is assumed that sodium nitrite inhibits the growth of metronidazole- sensitive and--resistant strains of T. vaginalis and induces the morphological changes of T. vaginalis although it does not affect in reducing of abscess size by T. vaginalis in mice.