Phospholipase B activity in congenitally athymic (nude) mice infected with Trichinella spiralis.
The effects of an infection with 200 Trichinella spiralis larvae on the intestinal phospholipase B activity and bone marrow eosinophilia of congenitally athymic (nude) mice (BALB/c; NU/NU) were studied. Nude mice were used since it had been shown that they do not undergo a typical worm expulsion and also they lack a thymus. The results showed that nude mice do not develop either an increased bone marrow eosinophilia or an elevation in intestinal phospholipase B activity. The findings thus support the hypothesis that phospholipase B is involved in the expulsion of parasitic worms and that elevated enzyme levels and expulsion are thymus cell dependent.
D000818:Animals; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology*; D006579:Heterozygote; D007422:Intestines / Q000201:enzymology*; D008245:Lysophospholipase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010740:Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D014235:Trichinellosis / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*
D010740:Phospholipases; D008245:Lysophospholipase