title: Chinchilla laniger can be used as an experimental model for Taenia solium taeniasis.
abstract: Chinchilla laniger has been reported as an experimental definitive host for Taenia solium; however no information about its suitability and yield of gravid tapeworm proglottids containing viable and infective eggs has been published. In total 55 outbred female chinchillas were infected with 4 cysticerci each; hosts were immunodeppressed with 6 or 8 mg of methyl-prednisolone acetate every 14 days starting the day of infection and their discomfort was followed. Kinetics of coproantigen ELISA or expelled proglottids was used to define the infection status. Efficiency of tapeworm establishment was 21% and of parasite gravidity was 8%; chinchillas showed some degree of suffering along the infection. Viability of eggs obtained from gravid proglottids was tested comparing methods previously published, our results showed 62% viability with propidium iodide, 54% with trypan blue, 34% with neutral red, 30% by oncosphere activation and 7% with bromide 3-(4,5-dimetil-tiazol-2-il)-2,5-difenil-tetrazolio (MTT) reduction; no statistical differences were obtained between most techniques, except activation. Four piglets were infected with 50,000 eggs each, necropsy was performed 3 months later and, after counting the number of cysticerci recovered, the percentage of infection was similar to data obtained with T. solium eggs recovered from humans. Our results demonstrate that the experimental model of T. solium taeniasis in C. laniger is a good alternative for providing eggs and adult tapeworms to be used in different types of experiments; optimization of the model probably depends on the use of inbred hosts and on the reduction of infected animals' suffering.
authors: Direccion de Investigacion, Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez, Mexico DF, Mexico.
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Maravilla
authors: Adriana
authors: A
authors: Garza-Rodriguez
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Gomez-Diaz
authors: Diego Emiliano
authors: DE
authors: Jimenez-Gonzalez
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Toral-Bastida
authors: Joel
authors: J
authors: Martinez-Ocaña
authors: Brett
authors: B
authors: West
authors: Nadia
authors: N
authors: Molina
authors: Ramon
authors: R
authors: Garcia-Cortes
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Kawa-Karasik
authors: Mirza
authors: M
authors: Romero-Valdovinos
authors: Guillermina
authors: G
authors: Avila-Ramirez
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Flisser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002682:Chinchilla / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005562:Formazans; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D013552:Swine / Q000469:parasitology*; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000502:physiology*; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D015053:Zygote / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005562:Formazans; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; C079782:MTT formazan; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D008775:Methylprednisolone