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Depleted intestinal goblet cells and severe pathological changes in SCID mice infected with Heligmosomoides polygyrus
Author(s) -
HASHIMOTO K.,
UCHIKAWA R.,
TEGOSHI T.,
TAKEDA K.,
YAMADA M.,
ARIZONO N.
Publication year - 2009
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.1365-3024.2009.01123.x
Subject(s) - heligmosomoides polygyrus , biology , severe combined immunodeficiency , mast cell , immunology , goblet cell , hyperplasia , immune system , t cell , cell , pathology , epithelium , medicine , endocrinology , biochemistry , genetics , gene
Summary To determine the role of T cells and mast cells in intestinal pathology and immune expulsion of intestinal nematodes, worm burdens, goblet cell responses and villus structures were analysed in T‐ and B‐cell‐deficient severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, athymic nu/nu mice and mast cell deficient W/W v mice after infection with the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. SCID and nu/nu mice showed significantly higher worm burdens at week 9 post‐infection compared with the wild‐type controls. SCID and nu/nu mice showed compromised goblet cell hyperplasia and/or Muc 2 expression, indicating that both events are T‐cell dependant. On the other hand, the SCID mice showed increased pathology (villus atrophy and crypt hyperplasia) and increased numbers of proliferating cell nuclear antigen positive cells compared to the wild‐type controls. W/W v mice, conversely, were able to expel the worms normally, had normal goblet cell hyperplasia, and did not demonstrate the changes in mucosal architecture seen in SCID mice, confirming that a normal mast cell response is not necessarily required for these changes. These results suggest that a functional T‐cell response, but not a mast cell response, is necessary for anti‐parasite responses, goblet cell function, and maintaining normal mucosal architecture.