title: Worm burden and leukocyte response in Angiostrongylus malaysiensis-infected rats: the influence of testosterone.
abstract: Gonadectomized male albino rats aged 7 weeks were given 1.5 mg/kg testosterone propionate daily and inoculated with 50 third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus malaysiensis. The treatment significantly increased the number of larvae and adult worms recovered from the brain and pulmonary arteries, respectively, and the rats exhibited smaller thymus glands. The total numbers of leukocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and especially eosinophils increased significantly post-infection, but the counts were higher in the untreated infected controls. Presumably, immunosuppressive effects of testosterone may at least partly be responsible for the higher loads of A. malaysiensis worms found in male rats as compared with females in the field.
authors.affiliation: Jabatan Zoologi, Faculty of Life Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kamis
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Badrul-Munir
mesh_terms: D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000469:parasitology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone