Cellular and humoral immune responses of jirds resistant to Dipetalonema viteae infection

Abstract

Jirds with prepatent Dipetalonema viteae infections develop an acquired immunity to challenge infections. The objective of the present study was to observe parasite-specific and nonspecific cellular and humoral immune responses in immune jirds. Splenic hyperplasia was observed in infected jirds during the first 5 weeks of infection. Antigen-reactive spleen cells were observed in the lymphocyte transformation assay at 3 weeks postinfection. A depressed response to concanavalin A (ConA) was seen at 1 week postinfection through week 5. Mitomycin C-treated cells from infected jirds were capable of suppressing the response of normal cells to ConA. Sephadex G-10-nonadherent spleen cells from infected jirds showed elevated responses to D. viteae antigen at 1, 3, and 5 weeks and elevated responses to ConA at 3 and 5 weeks. Filaria-specific antibodies were seen at 1 week postinfection, and titers rose through week 5. Plaque-forming cell production to sheep erythrocytes was not depressed in infected jirds. It was concluded that jirds react immunologically with both cellular and humoral responses during the prepatent period of D. viteae infection. A concurrent immune depression was seen. Its effect on resistance and tolerance remains to be determined.

Experimental Infection of Mongolian Gerbils with Wild-Type and Mutant Helicobacter pylori Strains

“…6C. The time course of the response is similar to that after experimental viral infection (34) or parenteral parasitic infection with Dipetalonema viteae or Leishmania major, where elevated antibody levels occur in serum after 1 week of infection (1,58). The early peak in the IgM response is similar to that observed in a human volunteer who ingested H. pylori (44), although the secondary rise differs; long-term studies should indicate whether there is parallelism with phenomena in humans.…”

Development and validation of an Onchocerca ochengi adult male worm gerbil model for macrofilaricidal drug screening

“…ochengi implantation, indicating some involvement of the immune response; related to the effect of the drugs on the male worms, and/or because of the release of parasite proteins once the worms are killed. Gerbils have also been shown to have not only cellular, but also humoral immune responses to filarial antigens [36, 37].…”