title: Establishment of a cerebral schistosomiasis experimental model in rabbits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to establish a cerebral schistosomiasis model in rabbits, to provide a valuable tool for morphological analysis, clinical manifestation observation, as well as investigations into immunological reactions and pathogenesis of focal inflammatory reaction in neuroschistosomiasis (NS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned into operation, sham-operation and normal groups. Rabbits in the operation group received direct injection of dead schistosome eggs into the brain, while their counterparts in the sham-operation group received saline injection. Rabbits in the normal group received no treatment. Base on the clinical manifestations, rabbits were sacrificed on days 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 30 post injection, and brain samples were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Sections were observed under the microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rabbits in the operation group exhibited various neurological symptoms, including anorexy, partial and general seizures, and paralysis. The morphological analysis showed several schistosome eggs in the nervous tissue on day 3 post operation, with very mild inflammation. On days 7-10 post operation, several schistosome eggs were localized in proximity to red blood cells with many neutrophilic granulocytes and eosinophilic granulocytes around them. The schistosome eggs developed into the productive granuloma stage on days 14-20 post operation. On day 30, the schistosome eggs were found to be in the healing-by-fibrosis stage, and the granuloma area was replaced by fibrillary glia through astrocytosis. The sham-operation group and the normal group showed negative results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This method might be used to establish the cerebral schistosomiasis experimental model. Several factors need to be considered in establishing this model, such as the antigenic property of eggs, the time of scarification, and the clinical manifestations.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Yangtze University Clinic Medical College, Jingzhou 434000, China.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Wang
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Wang
authors: Shi-Jie
authors: SJ
authors: Chen
authors: Ming-Can
authors: MC
authors: Wu
authors: Xiang-Lin
authors: XL
authors: Cheng
authors: Jun-Chuan
authors: JC
authors: Li
authors: Ting-Xuan
authors: TX
authors: Chen
authors: Zhan-Sheng
authors: ZS
authors: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004531:Eggs / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D020818:Neuroschistosomiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011817:Rabbits; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013997:Time Factors