title: Taenia solium: Development of an Experimental Model of Porcine Neurocysticercosis.
abstract: Human neurocysticercosis (NC) is caused by the establishment of Taenia solium larvae in the central nervous system. NC is a severe disease still affecting the population in developing countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa. While great improvements have been made on NC diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, the management of patients affected by extraparenchymal parasites remains a challenge. The development of a T. solium NC experimental model in pigs that will allow the evaluation of new therapeutic alternatives is herein presented. Activated oncospheres (either 500 or 1000) were surgically implanted in the cerebral subarachnoid space of piglets. The clinical status and the level of serum antibodies in the animals were evaluated for a 4-month period after implantation. The animals were sacrificed, cysticerci were counted during necropsy, and both the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of cysts were described. Based on the number of established cysticerci, infection efficiency ranged from 3.6% (1000 oncospheres) to 5.4% (500 oncospheres). Most parasites were caseous or calcified (38/63, 60.3%) and were surrounded by an exacerbated inflammatory response with lymphocyte infiltration and increased inflammatory markers. The infection elicited specific antibodies but no neurological signs. This novel experimental model of NC provides a useful tool to evaluate new cysticidal and anti-inflammatory approaches and it should improve the management of severe NC patients, refractory to the current treatments.
authors.affiliation: Unidad Periférica del Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en el Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México; Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Secretaría de Salud, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fleury
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trejo
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cisneros
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, México D.F., México; Hospital General Naval de Alta Especialidad, Secretaría de Marina (SEMAR), México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: García-Navarrete
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Nelly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Villalobos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Marisela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Secretaría de Salud, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villeda Hernández
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosas
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Raul J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bobes
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Aline S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: de Aluja
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Edda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sciutto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México.
authors.forename: Gladis
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fragoso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D016207:Cytokines