title: Strongyloides stercoralis: the first rodent model for uncomplicated and hyperinfective strongyloidiasis, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).
abstract: Strongyloidiasis is the most common endemic helminthiasis in several of the world's industrialized nations, yet relatively little is known about its basic biology and immunobiology because a practical rodent model for the investigation of this clinically important parasitism is lacking. This study reports such a model for use in the investigation of Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Normal male gerbils infected subcutaneously with 1000 infective filariform larvae harbored moderate numbers (83.6 +/- 27.6) of adult worms at 35 days after infection, and a low-grade infection persisted for at least 131 days mimicking the chronicity of human infections. Gerbils treated weekly with 2 mg of methylprednisolone acetate developed hyperinfective strongyloidiasis with up to 8000 autoinfective larvae occurring in these animals at postinfection day 21. Autoinfection never occurred in normal (untreated) gerbils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6050.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Megyeri
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Bhopale
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Schad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013322:Strongyloidiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D008775:Methylprednisolone