Korean J Parasitol.  2014 Feb;52(1):27-33. 10.3347/kjp.2014.52.1.27.

Mucosal Immune Responses of Mice Experimentally Infected with Pygidiopsis summa (Trematoda: Heterophyidae)

• Chai JY
• Park YJ
• Park JH
• Jung BK
• Shin EH

• KMID: 1715667
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2014.52.1.27

Abstract

Mucosal immune responses against Pygidiopsis summa (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) infection were studied in ICR mice. Experimental groups consisted of group 1 (uninfected controls), group 2 (infection with 200 metacercariae), and group 3 (immunosuppression with Depo-Medrol and infection with 200 metacercariae). Worms were recovered in the small intestine at days 1, 3, 5, and 7 post-infection (PI). Intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), mast cells, and goblet cells were counted in intestinal tissue sections stained with Giemsa, astra-blue, and periodic acid-Schiff, respectively. Mucosal IgA levels were measured by ELISA. Expulsion of P. summa from the mouse intestine began to occur from days 3-5 PI which sustained until day 7 PI. The worm expulsion was positively correlated with proliferation of IEL, mast cells, goblet cells, and increase of IgA, although in the case of mast cells significant increase was seen only at day 7 PI. Immunosuppression suppressed all these immune effectors and inhibited worm reduction in the intestine until day 7 PI. The results suggested that various immune effectors which include IEL, goblet cells, mast cells, and IgA play roles in regulating the intestinal mucosal immunity of ICR mice against P. summa infection.

Keyword

Pygidiopsis summa; mucosal immunity; intestinal fluke; intraepithelial lymphocyte; goblet cell; mast cell; IgA

MeSH Terms

Animals
Disease Models, Animal
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Goblet Cells/immunology
Heterophyidae/*immunology
*Immunity, Mucosal
Immunoglobulin A/analysis
Intestine, Small/parasitology/pathology
Leukocyte Count
Lymphocytes/immunology
Male
Mast Cells/immunology
Mice
Mice, Inbred ICR
Parasite Load
Time Factors
Trematode Infections/*immunology/parasitology
Immunoglobulin A