Differences of proteolytic enzymes and pathological changes in permissive and nonpermissive animal hosts for Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection.
In this study, mice (nonpermissive hosts) infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis showed significant worm degeneration and eosinophil degranulation, whereas infected rats (permissive hosts) showed lower worm degeneration and eosinophil degranulation. Pathophysiological changes developed to a lesser extent in rat than in the mouse strains. Neurological evaluation of A. cantonensis-infected mice showed mechanical damage caused by worms migrating to the brain. A significant correlation between the proteolytic enzymes, plasminogen activator (PA) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and pathological changes was found in hosts with eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis. Also, the ratio of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to serum albumin was consistently increased in hosts with angiostrongyliasis as compared with control. These data clearly indicate that PA and MMP-9 proteolytic enzymes as well as pathological changes are different in permissive and nonpermissive hosts.
Lan
K P
KP
Department of Laboratory, CiShan Hospital, 60 Chung-Hsueh Road, CiShan Chen, Kaohsiung County 842, Taiwan.
Lai
S C
SC
D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D017472:Receptors, Interleukin-1; D012709:Serum Albumin; C434984:TIRAP protein, human; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9