Mineral Status of Myocardial Sarcocystosis

The role of minerals on parasite persistency and the interaction between minerals and animal responses to the parasite infestation is not clear. For these reasons, the present re­search was aimed to compare copper, zinc and iron status in sheep with parasitic myocarditis and healthy ones in 2009. Blood and heart tissue samples were collected from 145 slaughtered sheep and histopa­thological findings were confirmed as myocardial sarcocystosis in 27 cases. Serum and tis­sue mineral level were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Data were analyzed by Sig­mastat program, using One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at the level of P<0.05. Myocardial sarcocystosis significantly increase myocardial concentration of Cu, Zn and Fe (P<0.05). These findings may explain the role of copper, zinc and iron in parasite persistency and may discuss the pathogenesis of sarcocystosis, which relates to evocate mentioned micronutri­ent to cardiac muscle.