title: Parasitological and morphological study of Schistosoma mansoni and diabetes mellitus in mice.
abstract: Schistosomes are blood-dwelling flukes which are highly dependent on the host metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate possible relationship between streptozotocin-induced diabetes and the outcome of acute murine schistosomiasis mansoni. Male and female SW mice were treated by a single intraperitoneally injected dose of streptozotocin (180 mg/kg). Seven days after induction, both control and diabetic animals were infected with 70 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae (BH strain). Diabetics and their controls were weighed 45 days after birth and for the last time prior to killing. Susceptibility to infection was evaluated twice a week by quantifying fecal egg excretion 7-9 weeks post-infection by the Kato-Katz' thick smear method. Mice were euthanized the day after the last fecal examination was performed. Adult worms were recovered from the portal system and mesenteric veins, whereas liver and intestine were removed for enumeration of egg load. No differences in worm length or in measurements of the reproductive organs, tegument, and suckers were detected. Also oviposition was unaffected as the total number of eggs per female worm from the liver, the small and the large intestine was the same in both groups. An oogram evaluation revealed a lower percentage of mature (23.0% vs. 40.7%) and a higher percentage of immature (69.1% vs. 51.7%) eggs in the small intestine of the diabetic mice. We suggest that principally a hampered egg passage through the intestine tissue caused this reduction and that probably both the eggs and the impaired host response play a role.
authors.affiliation: Biologia Parasitária, Departamento de Ensino, Pavilhão Arthur Neiva, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hulstijn
authors.forename: Lucas de Andrade
authors.initials: Lde A
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Renata Heisler
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Egberto Gaspar
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: de Moura
authors.forename: José Roberto
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Machado-Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000469:parasitology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008642:Mesenteric Veins / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000469:parasitology; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose