Humoral and cellular response to infection withEchinostoma revolutumin the golden hamster,Mesocricetus auratus

Abstract

Laboratory hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) were infected with Echinostoma revolutum (Trematoda). Immunoelectrophoretic studies of hamster serum showed no demonstrable antibody response to E. revolutum. Histopathologic examination of intestinal tissue of infected hamsters showed erosion of intestinal villi and lymphocytic infiltration as the primary host response. Spleens from infected hamsters were hyperplastic during the first 3 weeks of infection and atrophic from 4 to 8 weeks postinfection. Hamsters were unable to acquire a resistance to E. revolutum infection. Lack of resistance was demonstrated in hamsters where the parasite infection was no longer detected based on the absence of eggs in the faeces; these hamsters were then reinfected. Hamsters treated with the anthelmintic oxyclozanide were also reinfected with E. revolutum.

Foodborne Intestinal Flukes in Southeast Asia

“…However, the dynamics of worm expulsion are different depending on different parasite species and host species and strain [311,344,346]. The elimination of E. trivolvis from mice occurs within 2-4 weeks [347], whereas worms can survive for long periods of time in golden hamsters [348]. In hamsters, E. friedi survive for at least 12 weeks, whereas the infection is expelled at 3-4 weeks in rats [349].…”

Antibodies in the serum of golden hamsters experimentally infected with the intestinal trematode Echinostoma caproni

“…Only a limited capacity to expel primary infections and to develop resistance to challenge infections could be observed in these hosts. Studies by Fried and co-workers on E. trivolvis infections in golden hamsters similarly showed that the hamsters did not expel primary infections (FRANCO et al, 1986(FRANCO et al, , 1988MABUS et al, 1988) or mount significant resistance (MABUS et al, 1988) to reinfection with this parasite. MABUS et al, (1988) furthermore failed to demonstrate any humoral immune response to E. trivolvis in golden hamsters.…”

Immunology and pathology of echinostome infections in the definitive host.

“…Damage has been observed at the attachment sites of adult worms. Such areas showed marked dilation and lymphocytic infiltration Mabus et al 1988 ;Fried et al 1990 ;Weinstein and Fried 1991 ;Fujino and Fried 1993a ;Toledo et al 2006b) . Destruction and erosion of the villi also are common in these infections in hamsters.…”

“…The elimination of E. caproni primary infections in rats occurred at 7-8 weeks postinfection (wpi) (Hansen et al 1991 ;Toledo et al 2004a) , whereas worm survival in hamsters showed a persistence of at least 20 wpi (Toledo et al 2004b) , and in mice the longevity of the adult worms reached 23 wpi (Fried and Peoples 2007) . The elimination of E. trivolvis from mice occurs within 2-3 wpi (Weinstein and Fried 1991) , while in hamsters worms survived for up to 123 days postinfection (dpi) (Mabus et al 1988) . Similarly, E. friedi was able to survive for at least 12 wpi in hamsters, whereas the infection was expelled at 3-4 wpi in rats (Toledo et al 2003a(Toledo et al , 2006aMuñoz-Antoli et al 2004) .…”