Mucosal mast cell responses to experimental <i>Metagonimus yokogawai</i> infection in rats

, Chai, J Y; , Kim, T H; , Kho, W G; , Chung, S W; , Hong, S T; , Lee, S H

doi:1993.31.2.129

Korean J Parasito > Volume 31(2):1993 > Article

Original Article


Korean J Parasitol. 1993 Jun;31(2):129-134. English. Published online Mar 20, 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1993.31.2.129
Copyright © 1993 by The Korean Society for Parasitology


Mucosal mast cell responses to experimental Metagonimus yokogawai infection in rats
J Y Chai,^¹T H Kim,¹^,^W G Kho,¹^,^*S W Chung,²S T Hong,¹ and S H Lee¹
Department of Parasitology and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
^*

Received April 03, 1993; Accepted April 26, 1993.
Abstract
Intestinal mucosal mast cell (MMC) responses were studied in rats experimentally infected with Metagonimus yokogawai (Digenea: Heterophyidae). Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were fed each 2,500 metacercariae isolated from the sweetfish and sacrificed on the week 1, 2, 3 and 4 post-infection (PI). Recovery of worms was performed from the small intestine of each rat. To visualize the MMCs, duodenal and jejunal (upper, middle and lower) tissue sections were made and stained with alcian blue/safranine-0. The average worm recovery rates were 16.2% and 13.8% on the week 1 and week 2, respectively, but they decreased rapidly to 4.1% and 4.2% on the week 3 and week 4 PI, respectively, which indicate spontaneous worm expulsion after the week 2. The MMC number in the infected rats was, compared with uninfected controls, significantly increased in the whole small intestine, through the whole period of observation. The peak level of mastocytosis was observed on the week 3 PI. It is strongly suggested that MMCs might be involved in the expulsion process of flukes from the rat intestine.

Figures

Figs. 1-4
Sections of the duodenum of rats infected with M. yokogawai in comparison with control group. Blue spots (arrows) in the lamina propria and epithelial layer are the mucosal mast cells (MMCs). 1. uninfected control group, showing only a small number of MMCs. 2. infected rat, week 1 PI, a significant increase in the number of MMCs is recognizable. 3. infected rat, week 3 PI, showing markedly increased number (peak level) of MMCs. 4. infected rat, week 4 PI, with decreased number of MMCs compared with week 3 PI. Alcian blue (pH 0.3)/safranine-0 stainde, × 100.


	Fig. 5 Correlations between the worm recovery rate (WRR) and number of MMCs (No. MMCs) in different locations of the small intestine of the rats experimentally infected with M. yokogawai.

Tables


	Table 1 Mucosal mast cell (MMC) numbers in the small intestine of rats experimentally infected with M. yokogawai

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