Parasitological characteristics of Schistosoma mansoni infection in swiss mice with underlying malnutrition.
The effects of a protein-restricted diet (8% protein, 81% carbohydrate and 11% lipids) on Schistosoma mansoni infectivity, fecal egg excretion and intestinal egg distribution in Swiss (SW) mice were studied. Pregnant mice received a deficient diet from the middle of gestation until delivery. Seven-days-old mice were exposed to 50 cercariae (BH strain, Brazil). Offspring mice had a free access to the deficient diet since lactation until adulthood. The controls were fed with a commercial mice diet. A parasitological examination was performed between six and eight weeks post-infection while both groups were necropsied one week later. Mice on the experimental diet showed a significant loss in body weight. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in pre-patent period, kinetics of egg excretion and worm recovery from mice on either diet. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found concerning to the percentage of deposited eggs in the distal segment of the small intestine from hosts on the experimental diet. Our data suggest that experimental malnutrition induced for a long term has no detrimental effect on the acute schistosomiais infection in SW mice.
Simões
Carla
C
Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Departamento de Patologia e Laboratórios, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20590-170, Brasil.
Neves
Renata Heisler
RH
Barros
Lucas de Andrade
LA
Brito
Patrícia Dias
PD
Cravo
Cristiane Oliveira
CO
de Moura
Egberto Gaspar
EG
Machado-Silva
José Roberto
JR
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000254:growth & development*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology*