title: Depressed neuronal growth associated protein (GAP)-43 expression in the small intestines of mice experimentally infected with Neodiplostomum seoulense.
abstract: Neodiplostomum seoulense (Digenea: Neodiplostomidae) is an intestinal trematode that can cause severe mucosal pathology in the small intestines of mice and even mortality of the infected mice within 28 days after infection. We observed neuronal growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) expression in the myenteric plexus of the small intestinal wall of N. seoulense-infected mice until day 35 post-infection (PI). BALB/c mice were infected with 200 or 500 N. seoulense metacercariae isolated from naturally infected snakes and were killed every 7 days for immunohistochemical demonstration of GAP-43 in the small intestines. N. seoulense-infected mice showed remarkable dilatation of intestinal loops compared with control mice through days 7-28 PI. Conversely, GAP-43 expression in the mucosal myenteric plexus was markedly (P<0.05) reduced in the small intestines of N. seoulense-infected mice during days 7-28 PI and was slightly normalized at day 35 PI. From this study, it is evident that neuronal damage occurs in the intestinal mucosa of N. seoulense-infected mice. However, the correlation between intestinal pathology, including the loop dilatation, and depressed GAP-43 expression remains to be elucidated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Pyo
authors.forename: Eun-Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Bong-Kwang
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jung-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jong-Yil
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Eun-Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D058488:Metacercariae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D014200:Trematoda / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D019922:GAP-43 Protein