Fate of challenge schistosomula in the murine anti-schistosome vaccine model

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5652968

Von Lichtenberg, F; Correa-Oliveira, R; Sher, A

Mice exposed to irradiated cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni develop a partial resistance to subsequent parasite challenge. In this study the authors utilized histopathologic methods to investigate the fate of both the immunizing and challenge cercariae in C57BL/6J mice. After immunization by percutaneous infection, a large number of the 50 Kr irradiated organisms could be detected in tissue sections of lung. However, as early as 2 weeks after immunization, the majority of these schistosomula apparently had died, leaving residual inflammatory foci. The numbers of these foci then gradually declined during the next 4 weeks of examination. Cercarial challenge of mice vaccinated 4 weeks previously provoked an intense eosinophil-enriched inflammatory response in percutaneously exposed ear pinnae. Despite these pronounced tissue reactions, no evidence of significant parasite damage or attrition was detected in this migration site. In contrast, schistosomula arriving in the lungs of vaccinated mice produced a greater number of residual inflammatory foci than did larvae appearing in the lungs of normal mice. In addition, challenge schistosomula were cleared from the lungs of vaccinated mice at a slower rate than they were from the lungs of control mice. These observations suggest that the lung is a major site of parasite attrition for both immunizing and challenge infections in the mouse irradiated vaccine model.

• Research Organization: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
• OSTI ID: 5652968
• Journal Information: Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.; (United States) Vol. 34:1; ISSN AJTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560134* -- Radiation Effects on Microorganisms-- Vaccine Preparation & Other Applications-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MODELS
BODY
CLEARANCE
EXCRETION
HELMINTHS
IMMUNE REACTIONS
INFECTIVITY
LARVAE
LUNG CLEARANCE
LUNGS
MAMMALS
MICE
ORGANS
PLATYHELMINTHS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SCHISTOSOMA
TREMATODES
VACCINES
VERTEBRATES