title: In vitro hatching of Trichuris suis eggs.
abstract: Eggs of the pig whipworm, Trichuris suis ova (TSO), are currently tested in human clinical trials for their potential immunomodulatory capacity. The biological potency of TSO (egg viability and infectivity) is traditionally assessed in Göttingen minipigs as the establishment of intestinal larvae after inoculation with a known number of eggs. To minimize testing in animal models, development of an in vitro egg hatching assay is proposed as a reliable, cost-effective, and a faster alternative to test the egg viability. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of different chemical, physical, and biological factors on egg hatching. Thus, in a series of experiments and in different combinations, the eggs were stimulated with glass beads, artificial gastric juice, bile salt and trypsin solution, fermentation gut medium, or stimulated with mucosal scrapings from the ileum and the large intestine of the infected and uninfected Göttingen minipig. Mechanical stimulation with glass beads presented a simple and reproducible method for egg hatching. However, incubation of eggs with mucosal scrapings from the ileum, caecum, and colon for 24 h at 38 °C significantly increased hatching.
authors.affiliation: Section for Organismal Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark, nerminav@plen.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Nermina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vejzagić
authors.forename: Stig Milan
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Thamsborg
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kringel
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roepstorff
authors.forename: Johan Musaeus
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bruun
authors.forename: Christian M O
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kapel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D002432:Cecum / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000469:parasitology; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D010063:Ovum / Q000254:growth & development*; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D013997:Time Factors; D014258:Trichuris / Q000254:growth & development*