The Effect of Blastocystis sp. Administration on the Differential Leukocyte Count in Male Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Blastocystis sp. could release pro-inflammatory cytokines and cysteine proteases, leading to a shift in the modulation of the adaptive immune response and leukocytosis. This study aimed to investigate whether there is a correlation between Blastocystis sp. infection and the differential count of leukocytes. This study was pure experimental research with a post-test-only control group design approach, involving 21 male Wistar albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) as test animals. The study was conducted at the Animal House, the Biomedical Laboratory, and the Central Laboratory of Medical Faculty, Andalas University, from December 2022 to June 2023. Blastocystis sp. in rat feces was observed using a microscope and culture methods, while the differential count examination was performed microscopically using peripheral blood smears. Data analysis was performed using the One-Way ANOVA test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The research results are in the form of mean values of leukocyte differential count in percentage (%) for each group. The negative control group (K-) with 0 basophils, 0 eosinophils, 28.1 neutrophils, 71.1 lymphocytes, and 0.7 monocytes. Treatment group 1 (P1) with a mean of 0 basophils, 0 eosinophils, 25.6 neutrophils, 60.4 lymphocytes, and 1.1 monocytes. Treatment group 2 (P2) with a mean of 0 basophils, 0 eosinophils, 33 neutrophils, 67 lymphocytes, and 1.4% monocytes. The significance value obtained for neutrophils count were 0.5, lymphocytes were 0.6, and monocytes were 0.1 (p > 0.05). The conclusion was that the administration of Blastocystis sp. does not significantly affect the differential count of leukocytes in rats. Keywords: Blastocystis sp., Leukocytes Differential Count, Rattus norvegicus