title: Immune response in mice infected by Encephalitozoon cuniculi and suppressed by dexamethasone.
abstract: Several indicators of immune response were observed in immunocompetent mice of the ICR line and those suppressed by dexamethasone upon their experimental infection with the microsporidia of Encephalitozoon cuniculi. The mice were infected by one-shot intraperitoneal administration of 5 x 10(7) pathogenic spores. On Days 7, 14, 28 and 42 after infection, peripheral blood leukocyte phagocytic activity was determined and compared, including phagocytic index and the blastogenic response in spleen cells to mitogenic activation by concanavalin A and phytohaemagglutinin. The results point to the fact that E. cuniculi itself can cause a significant decrease in phagocytic activity of phagocytic leukocytes in the early stages of infection as well as a remarkable decrease in the proliferative response of spleen cells to T-cellular mitogens.
authors.affiliation: University of Veterinary Medicine, Komenského 73, 041 81 Kosice, Slovak Republic. valencakova@uvm.sk
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valencáková
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halánová
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bálent
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dvoroznáková
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jamborová
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lesník
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neuschl
authors.forename: L'
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Páleník
authors.forename: Lýdia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cisláková
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone; D009670:Encephalitozoon cuniculi / Q000276:immunology*; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000276:immunology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D003907:Dexamethasone