title: Clinical signs and hematologic, cytokine, and plasma nitric oxide alterations in response to Strongylus vulgaris infection in helminth-naïve ponies.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of infection with Strongylus vulgaris on serum cytokines and plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in helminth-naive ponies. Group 1 (n = 21) was given 500 S. vulgaris L3 larvae and group 2 (n = 7) received a saline control. Ponies were monitored daily for clinical signs, and blood was collected for complete blood cell counts and serum cytokines (TNF, IL-1, IL-6) quantification. Group 1 ponies were depressed, anorexic, and febrile for variable periods of time. Plasma NO was increased on day 21 in group 1 and on days 9 and 21 in group 2. Significant increases in total white blood cell counts, fibrinogen, and plasma protein concentrations in group 1 were found. Significant decreases in red blood cell counts and packed cell volume were also noted in group 1. There were no differences in serum cytokines across time in either group of ponies. Despite the lack of proinflammatory cytokine induction with the apparent inflammatory response to S. vulgaris there is evidence of a potential role of NO.
authors.affiliation: Equine Studies Health Program, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-8410, USA. jhubert@vetmed.lsu.edu
authors.forename: Jeremy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hubert
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Seahorn
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Klei
authors.forename: Giselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hosgood
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Horohov
authors.forename: Rustin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D013319:Strongyle Infections, Equine / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D013323:Strongylus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009569:Nitric Oxide