Regulation of Intestinal Immune Response by Selective Removal of the Anterior, Posterior, or Entire Pituitary Gland in Trichinella spiralis Infected Golden Hamsters

The influence of anterior pituitary hormones on the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals has been previously reported. Hypophysectomy (HYPOX) in the rat causes atrophy of the intestinal mucosa, and reduction of gastric secretion and intestinal absorption, as well as increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections. However, to our knowledge, no findings have been published concerning the immune response following HYPOX during worm infection, particularly that which is caused by the nematode Trichinella spiralis. The aim of this work was to analyze the effects of total or partial HYPOX on colonization of T. spiralis in the intestinal lumen, together with duodenal and splenic cytokine expression. Our results indicate that 5 days post infection, only neurointermediate pituitary lobectomy (NIL) reduces the number of intestinally recovered T. spiralis larvae. Using semiquantitative inmunofluorescent laser confocal microscopy, we observed that the mean intensity of all tested Th1 cytokines was markedly diminished, even in the duodenum of infected controls. In contrast, a high level of expression of these cytokines was noted in the NIL infected hamsters. Likewise, a significant decrease in the fluorescence intensity of Th2 cytokines (with the exception of IL-4) was apparent in the duodenum of control and sham infected hamsters, compared to animals with NIL surgeries, which showed an increase in the expression of IL-5 and IL-13. Histology of duodenal mucosa from NIL hamsters showed an exacerbated inflammatory infiltrate located along the lamina propria, which was related to the presence of the parasite. We conclude that hormones from each pituitary lobe affect the gastrointestinal immune responses to T. spiralis through various mechanisms

Międzygatunkowe hybrydyzacje in situ do identyfikacji translokacji Robertsonowskiej u dzika

Cross-species hybridizations in situ for identification of Robertsonian translocation in wild boar. Homologies and homeologies between human and pig chromosomes enabled human painting probes to be used for identification of chromosomes involved in homozygous centric fusion in the wild boar (Sus scrofa scrofa). with karyotype 36,XY,rob(15;17), which had been provisionally determined on the basis of G-bands (GTG technique). For interspecies hybridizations two commercial differently labelled human painting probes for chromosome pairs 2 and 20 were used. FISH with the human WCP 20 probe revealed green fluorescence signals on the short arms of the 15;17translocated chromosomes, and after hybridization with the WCP 2 yellow signals were observed along the long arms of these rearranged acrocentic autosomes as well as on small fragments of the SSC3q arms. The results of cross-species hybridizations in situ have confirmed preliminary cytogenetic evaluation of the karyotype of the Robertsonian translocation-carrying wild boar as well as numerous homologies and homeologies between chromosomes of human and species (Sus scrofa domestica and Sus scrofa scrofa) belonging to the Suidae family. The results obtained have confirmed alsothe usefulness of commercial human painting probes for identification of chromosome rearrangements in other species that received little study.Międzygatunkowe hybrydyzacje in situ do identyfikacji translokacji Robertsonowskiej u dzika. Homologie i homeologie między chromosomami człowieka i świni domowej umożliwiły zastosowanie ludzkich sond malujących do identyfikacji chromosomów zaangażowanych w homozygotyczną fuzję centryczną u dzika (Sus scrofa scrofa) o kariotypie 36,XY,rob(15;17), który został wstępnie zdiagnozowany na podstawie prążków G (technika GTG). Do międzygatunkowych hybrydyzacji wykorzystano dwie komercyjne, różnie znakowane ludzkie sondy malujące dla chromosomów par 2. i 20. FISH z ludzką sondą WCP 20 ujawniła zielone sygnały hybrydyzacyjne na krótkich ramionach translokowanych chromosomuów15;17, a po hybrydyzacji z WCP 2 żółte sygnały obserwowane byływzdłuż długich ramion tych zreorganizowanych akrocentrycznych autosomów. Wyniki międzygatunkowych hybrydyzacji in situ potwierdziły wstępną cytogenetyczną ocenę kariotypu dzika – nosiciela translokacji robertsonowskiej, a także liczne homologie i homeologie między chromosomami człowieka i gatunków należących do rodziny Suidae (Sus scrofa domestica i Sus scrofa scrofa). Uzyskane wyniki potwierdziły także przydatność komercyjnych ludzkich sond malujących do identyfikacji chromosomowych rearanżacji u innych, mało poznanych, gatunków

Detection of Trichinella spiralis antigens in urine of men and animals

The practical inability to diagnose Trichinella spiralis antibodies in man before day 20 post infection (dpi) has stimulated interest in the development of immunodiagnostic test to detect circulating antigens. Our previous experience showed that soon after infection immune complexes as well as uncomplexed parasite antigens in sera of infected rats could be detected. To diagnose the presence of antigen in urine, double sandwich-capture ELISA was applied using a peroxidase-conjugated rabbit immunoglobulin to T. spiralis larval antigens. The plates were coated with metabolic (AES) or somatic (AS) larval antigens. Mice were infected with 500 T. spiralis larvae. The urine samples from experimentally infected mice taken from 1 to 41 dpi. and the urine samples from patients of the Clinical Hospital in Białystok taken from 3 to 120 dpi were examined. Before testing, the urine samples were heated for 6 min. at 100°C and centrifuged for 6 min. at 5000 g, supematants were used in ELISA. The presence of T. spiralis antigens in mice urine samples was detected between 6-26 days post infection (dpi) using double sandwich-capture ELISA. All samples taken later were negative as samples taken from uninfected mice. 3 from 9 human urine samples taken 3-10 dpi were positive, the remaining samples taken 3-10 and 10-30 dpi showed values near to "cut-off". In both mice and human urine samples the higher level of antigens was detected in ELISA when somatic larval antigen was used. The T. spiralis antigens were present in urine of infected men and mice in the first phase of infection

Raccoon dog [Nyctereutes procyonoides] - the new host of Echinococcus multilocularis in Poland

The alimentary canals of 9 species of domesticated or wild animals were examined for the presence of E. multilocularis. The tapeworm was found in 9 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) out of 155 examined (5.8%) and in 2 raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) of 25 examined (8.0%). Our studies proved that in Poland the raccoon dog can also be infected with E. multilocularis