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Effect of immunosuppression on the size and metastasis of amoebic liver abscesses in hamsters
Author(s) -
GHADIRIAN E.,
MEEROVITCH E.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3024.1981.tb00411.x
Subject(s) - thymectomy , biology , entamoeba histolytica , immunosuppression , liver abscess , amoebic liver abscess , laparotomy , abscess , mesocricetus , hamster , axenic , physiology , gastroenterology , pathology , immunology , medicine , endocrinology , surgery , myasthenia gravis , genetics , bacteria
SUMMARY The effect of T‐cell depletion on experimental hepatic amoebiasis in hamsters was investigated. Thymectomized and anti‐T‐cell (ATS) treated animals as well as sham‐operated and unoperated controls were inoculated intrahepatically, following laparotomy, at 7 weeks of age with 1 × 10 5 axenic trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica. In neonatally thymectomized hamsters the mean weight of the liver abscess 10 days post‐inoculation was significantly greater than in neonatally sham‐operated or unoperated controls, but there was no significant difference between these groups of animals in the size of metastatic foci to other organs. On the other hand, a combination of neonatal thymectomy and ATS treatment enhanced both the size of the primary abscess in the liver and the size of metastases to other sites. Adult thymectomy did not have a significant effect either on the size of the primary abscess or on metastatic dissemination of amoebae from the liver. Treatment of hamsters with ATS shortly before or after intrahepatic challenge increased significantly the size of the abscess, but similar treatment 2–3 weeks prior to challenge had no effect. These observations suggest that thymus‐dependent cell‐mediated immunity plays an important role in the host response to E. histolytica infection.