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Impairment of Host Resistance to Helminthes with Age in Murine Small Intestine
Author(s) -
Morimoto M.,
Saito C.,
Muto C.,
Akamatsu Y.,
Chiba T.,
Abe T.,
Azuma N.,
Suto Y.
Publication year - 2015
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/pim.12170
Subject(s) - heligmosomoides polygyrus , nippostrongylus brasiliensis , biology , immunology , immune system , nematode , helminths , immunity , ageing , ostertagia ostertagi , nematode infection , parasite hosting , small intestine , endocrinology , ecology , genetics , world wide web , computer science
Summary Age‐associated alterations of Th2 immune responses against nematode parasites are largely unknown. We investigated primary and memory responses against two types of gastrointestinal nematode parasites, Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Hp) and Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (Nb), in aged mice. The small intestinal gene expression of Th2 cytokines was almost unchanged after primary (Nb and Hp) and secondary infection (Hp) in aged mice in contrast to strongly increased small intestinal gene expression of Th2 cytokines in young (3‐month‐old) mice. Mucus production decreased (Nb), and worm expulsion was impaired (Nb and Hp) compared with the young mice. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that after Hp infection, the number of alternatively activated macrophages, which are induced by Th2 cytokines, was lower in the aged mice. On the other hand, the number of CD 4 + T cells recruited to the worm cysts was normal compared with the young mice. These results suggest that migration of CD 4 + T cells to the host–parasite interface is not affected by ageing. Alterations in Th2 immune responses in aged mice might be due to inappropriate or insufficient activation of CD 4 + T cells in the submucosa.