Immunological and histopathological reactions of the rat against the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta and the effects of anti‐thymocyte serum

Abstract

Anti-thymocyte-serum (ATS) treated Wistar rats infected with 100 cysticercoids of the rat intestinal cestode Hymenolepis diminuta showed a delayed destrobilation and expulsion of the worms compared with saline-treated infected rats. This result strengthens previous evidence of an immunological nature of the destrobilation and expulsion in lumen-dwelling cestodes--even in their most susceptible hosts. The migration of the worms in the small intestine during the first 20 days of a primary 100-worm infection is described and the anterior migration of the destrobilated worms to the first 10% of the pylorus is emphasized and compared with similar migrations of the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in the rat. No serum antibodies were detected using passive cutaneous anaphylaxis and the indirect immunofluorescence test, although the thymus-independent areas of the mesenteric lymph nodes showed an increase in pyroninophilic cells. In the small intestine, no response to the tapeworm infection could be detected in pyroninophilic cells and globule leucocytes, but mast cell and eosinophilic cell numbers were increased in the saline-treated infected rats. Although the host responses to H. diminuta are shown to be thymus-dependent, the possibility of thymus-independent activity in the host reactions cannot be ruled out.

Increase of Mucosal Mast Cells in the Jejunum of Patients Infected with <i>Trichinella spiralis</i>

“…From experimental studies, in animals, an increase in MMC in cestode infections but not in protozoan in fections might be expected. We observed earlier that the non-tissue-invading tapeworm Hymenolepis dimi nuta induced an increase in mucosal mast cells both in mice [1] and rats [4], Consequently, the observations in the trichinellosis patients seem to indicate that an additional popu lation of mast cells, both in the mucosa and the con nective tissue, can be detected using an appropriate fixative.…”

“…The latter two dis eases were included for comparison. Taenia saginala is a cestode and in previous studies it was shown that experimental cestode infections in mice [1] and rats [4] were accompanied by an increase in MMC. Infec tions by agents other than helminths are not known to be connected with an increase in MMC.…”

Selected Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Parasite–Host System Hymenolepis diminuta–Rattus norvegicus

“…It is assumed that the intensity of infection is high in the presence of more than 5 parasites [16,47,48,49,50,51]. Over the course of individual development, the tapeworm increases in size, which affects the secretion and absorption in the gut, and can also cause changes in the tissues of the digestive tract [15,43,52]. …”

Influence of an <i>Hymenolepis diminuta</i> Infection on IgE and IgA Bound to Mouse Intestinal Eosinophils

“…The mast cell and eosinophil numbers in the differ ent parts of the lamina propria of the intestine gave some good indications as regards the involvement of these cells in the rejection of H. diminuta from the in testine of rats [Hindsbo et al, 1982] and mice. Espe cially the eosinophil peroxidase level in the intestinal lumen in mice, which well correlated with the rejec tion process, was a positive indication of the role of the eosinophils in this reaction , Capron et al [1985] demonstrated the increased presence of Fc receptors for IgE on tissue eosinophils under some pathological conditions.…”