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The athymic nude rat. IV. Immunocytochemical study to detect T‐cells, and immunological and histopathological reactions against Trichinella spiralis
Author(s) -
VOS J.G.,
RUITENBERG E.J.,
BASTEN NETTY VAN,
BUYS JANNIE,
ELGERSMA ANNEKE,
KRUIZINGA W.
Publication year - 1983
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.1365-3024.1983.tb00737.x
Subject(s) - biology , mesenteric lymph nodes , trichinella spiralis , pathology , immunoglobulin e , spleen , antibody , immunology , trichinosis , mast cell , small intestine , trichinella , monoclonal antibody , lymph node , antigen , endocrinology , helminths , medicine
Summary The anti‐parasite response was investigated after oral infection of athymic nude (rnu/rnu) rats and heterozygous (+/rnu) littermates with 1000 muscle larvae of Trichinella spiralis. No IgM, IgG and IgE antibodies were detected in serum of rnu/rnu rats. Expulsion of adult worms from the small intestine was prolonged (worms were nearly all expelled at days 14 and 91 in +/rnu and rnu/rnu rats respectively). The yield of muscle larvae in the carcasses of nude rats at day 91 was 33 times higher than in +/rnu rats. In contrast to the strong inflammatory reaction in the parasitized tongue of +/rnu rats, no infiltration was observed in rnu/rnu rats. Using an immunoperoxide method with monoclonal anti‐rat T‐cell antibody, no T cells were identified in spleen, mesenteric lymph node and Peyer's patches. These data support earlier studies that the nude rat lacks functional T cells. As the counts of connective tissue mast cells (CTMC), intestinal mast cells (IMC) and globule leucocytes (GL) in small intestine of uninfected rnu/rnu rats were equal or higher than in +/rnu rats, it is concluded that the origin of these cells is thymus‐independent. In contrast to +/rnu rats, infection of rnu/rnu rats induced no increase of CTMC, IMC or GL. Thus, these cells depend on T cells to undergo proliferation. Finally, results of this study were inconclusive whether IMC are precursors for GL, or that they represent independent cell populations.