T lymphocyte dependent enteropathy in murine Trichinella spiralis infection

Parasite Immunol. 1992 Mar;14(2):217-25. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1992.tb00462.x.

Abstract

Mice infected with Trichinella spiralis developed significant enteropathy, comprising villus atrophy, crypt hyperplasia, goblet cell hyperplasia and a decrease in intra-epithelial lymphocyte numbers by 10 days post-infection, when most of the parasites had been expelled from the gut. However, worm expulsion was prevented by treatment with cyclosporin A and, despite a continued parasite burden, cyclosporin A treated animals had no villus atrophy or changes in inflammatory cell numbers. These results confirm that the expulsion of T. spiralis from the mouse gut is accompanied by a significant intestinal lesion and that both of these phenomena are T-cell mediated.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cyclosporine / therapeutic use
  • Enteritis / drug therapy
  • Enteritis / parasitology
  • Enteritis / pathology
  • Hyperplasia
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / drug therapy
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / immunology*
  • Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / pathology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / parasitology
  • Intestinal Mucosa / pathology
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Parasite Egg Count
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Trichinellosis / drug therapy
  • Trichinellosis / immunology*
  • Trichinellosis / pathology

Substances

  • Cyclosporine