Histopathological appearances in primary and secondary infections with Strongyloides ratti in mice

Dawkins H. J. S., Muir G. M. & Grove D. I. 1981. Histopathological appearances in primary and secondary infections with Strongyloides ratti in mice. International Journal for Parasitology11: 97–103. The histological appearances of the skin, lungs and small intestines of mice with primary and secondary infections with S. ratti are described. When the skins of mice with a primary infection were examined, larvae were seen scattered throughout the dermis. An inflammatory reaction of neutrophils and eosinophils was first noted around larvae 12 h after infection. By 48 h, mononuclear cells were prominent. The intensity of the inflammatory reaction gradually increased to a maximum on the fifth day and the larvae were destroyed. Very few larvae were seen in the lungs; those observed were located in the alveolar spaces and were not surrounded by an inflammatory infiltrate. Worms in the small intestines were found mostly in the crypts of Leiberkuhn, and were probably located within the epithelial layer; there was no significant villous atrophy or cellular infiltration. Marked differences were found in the tissues of mice with secondary infections. In the skin, oedema and neutrophils and eosinophils were seen around worms as early as 2 h after infection. By 24 h after infection, there was a mixed inflammatory infiltrate and worms were undergoing disintegration. Larvae in the lungs were surrounded by polymorphonuclear and mononuclear cells 48 h and 72 h after infection and the engulfed larvae were undergoing lysis. Only a few worms were seen in the intestines of mice with a secondary infection; the histological appearances were similar to that found in animals with primary infections. It is suggested that the rapid development of an oedematous reaction in the skins of immune mice may facilitate the entry of larvae into the bloodstream and that inflammatory cells destroy many larvae in the lungs of immune mice.     

Course of heavy primary infections and earlier immunologically mediated rejection of secondary infections of Hymenolepis diminuta in mice

Roepstorff A. and Andreassen J. 1982. Course of heavy primary infections and earlier immunologically mediated rejection of secondary infections of Hymenolepis diminuta in mice. International Journal for Parasitology12: 23–28. The worms of heavy (50–100 worms) primary Hymenolepis diminuta infections in inbred C57-mice were 1–2 mm long when growth ceased about day 4. Thereafter the mean length decreased by shrinkage and/or ‘decollation’, the worms moved backwards in the small intestine and were rejected from day 6 to day 10. Heavy secondary infections given 14 days after a heavy primary infection were severely stunted (0.2–0.3 mm) but normally situated in the intestine on day 2 and nearly all were rejected by day 4. Even when the time between the primary and secondary infections was increased to 21 or 42 days, therecovery, position and length of the secondary worms were significantly different from primary infections. These results show that an immunologically mediated memory was involved, and that functional antigens can be released from the scolex and/or the neck alone.     

Strongyloides ratti: Susceptibility to infection and resistance to reinfection in inbred strains of mice as assessed by excretion of larvae

Eleven inbred strains of mice, and one outbred strain, were infected with Strongyloides ratti and larvae in the faeces were quantitated. Three strains, C57B1/6, CBA and BALB/c mice were susceptible to infection while other strains demonstrated negligible infections as assessed by this method. Larvae were first seen in the faeces on day 5, peak levels were reached on days 6 and 7, and excretion ceased 10 days after infection. Factors influencing intensity of larval excretion were examined in C57B1/6 mice. Young mice (1 month of age) were found to be more susceptible to infection than 2 and 6 month old animals. Male mice were much more susceptible to infection than female animals. There was a direct relationship between the number of S. ratti injected and the number of larvae excreted over the range 200–1600 larvae; subsequent increments in dose of injected larvae failed to increase the larval output. Infection by the percutaneous route resulted in a heavier infection than did subcutaneous injection. Previous exposure to S. ratti induced a profound resistance to reinfection. It is suggested that S. ratti infections of C57B1/6 and CBA mice provide a useful model for the investigation of factors influencing the host-parasite relationship in strongyloidiasis.     

The ovulation and activation of primary and secondary oocytes in LT/Sv strain mice

Eggs were isolated from the oviducts or ovaries of LT/Sv strain mice in order to investigate the pathways taken by them following spontaneous or induced parthenogenetic activation. The chromosome preparations from the ovarian oocytes that matured in vitro to metaphase I were all morphologically normal. Of 42 recently ovulated eggs that failed to activate parthenogenetically in culture, 57% on nuclear densitometric analysis were found to have the normal 2C amount of DNA, and 1N (haploid) number of chromosomes present, and were arrested at metaphase II. Somewhat unexpectedly, 43% had a 4C amount of DNA, and 2N (diploid) number of chromosomes present, had been arrested at metaphase I, and were evidently ovulated as primary oocytes. Following parthenogenetic activation, the majority of oocytes extruded a polar body and developed a single pronucleus. The activated eggs could be divided into two sub-populations according to the diameter (and therefore volume) of the pronucleus—in one group this was about one-third greater than in the other. The chromosome constitution of the two groups was determined separately at the first cleavage mitosis. Those with a normal-sized pronucleus were invariably haploid, while those with an enlarged pronuclear volume were invariably found to be diploid. The chromosomes in the diploid spreads often appeared to be associated in homologous pairs. We conclude that almost uniquely in LT/Sv strain females eggs may be activated parthenogenetically at either stage of meiotic maturation giving rise to diploid or haploid embryos, respectively.     

A massive systematic infection of Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype III in mice does not cause clinical signs

Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype III disseminated intensively into most of the organs in all strains of mice, followed by a chronic infection with massive microsporidia persistence in immunodeficient mice and a partial decrease in C57Bl/6 mice. Treatment with 0.2 mg Albendazole/mouse/day temporarily reduces the number of affected organs in immunocompetent C57Bl/6 mice, but not in CD4^−/− and CD8^−/− mice. The application of medication temporarily decreased the spore burden at least by one order of magnitude in all groups.These results demonstrate that the E. cuniculi genotype III infection had a progressive course and surprisingly, Albendazole treatment had only a minimal effect. The E. cuniculi genotype III spore burden in individual organs reached up to 10⁸ or 10⁹ in immunocompetent or immunodeficient mice, respectively; however, these mice did not demonstrate any obvious clinical signs of microsporidiosis, and the immunodeficient mice survived longer. Our findings clearly show that the survival of mice does not correspond to spore burden, which provides new insight into latent microsporidiosis from an epidemiological point of view.     

Toxoplasma gondii: The severity of toxoplasmic encephalitis in C57BL/6 mice is associated with increased ALCAM and VCAM-1 expression in the central nervous system and higher blood-brain barrier permeability

In order to investigate the differential ALCAM, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 adhesion molecules mRNA expression and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice in Toxoplasma gondii infection, animals were infected with ME-49 strain. It was observed higher ALCAM on day 9 and VCAM-1 expression on days 9 and 14 of infection in the central nervous system (CNS) of C57BL/6 compared to BALB/c mice. The expression of ICAM-1 was high and similar in the CNS of both lineages of infected mice. In addition, C57BL/6 presented higher BBB permeability and higher IFN-γ and iNOS expression in the CNS compared to BALB/c mice. The CNS of C57BL/6 mice presented elevated tissue pathology and parasitism. In conclusion, our data suggest that the higher adhesion molecules expression and higher BBB permeability contributed to the major inflammatory cell infiltration into the CNS of C57BL/6 mice that was not efficient to control the parasite.     

The influences of age on T lymphocyte subsets in C57BL/6 mice

The aim of this study is to evaluate the age related changes of T lymphocyte subsets in C57BL/6 mice and immune function. Multi-color immunofluorescence techniques that were used to analyse relative numbers of T lymphocyte subsets include CD4⁺, CD8⁺, naive and memory CD4⁺ and CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28⁺ T cells in peripheral blood of C57BL/6 mice from different age groups (Group I: 2 months old; Group II: 7 months old; Group III: 21 months old); Splenocytes isolated from different group mice were stimulated with Con A to evaluate the proliferative ability. Compared with group I, group II had a significant reduction in the percentage of CD4⁺, naive CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and an increase in the percentage of CD8⁺ T cells, while group III had a significant reduction in the percentage of CD4⁺, naive CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and increase in the percentage of CD8⁺, memory CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in peripheral blood. Compared with group II, group III had a significant reduction in the percentage of naive CD8⁺ T cells and increase in the percentage of memory CD4⁺ and CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD28⁺ T cells in peripheral blood. The T lymphocyte proliferation in vitro showed that groups II and III had a lower proliferative capacity than group I, between groups II and III, there was not a significant difference. We provide relative values for the T lymphocyte subsets in the different age groups of C57BL/6 mice. The immune system began aging at 7 months old in C57BL/6 mice under a specific pathogen free environment.     

Ovulation and fertilization of primary and secondary oocytes in LT/Sv strain mice

In this study, the chromosome constitution of both unfertilized oocytes and fertilized eggs isolated from the oviducts of LT/Sv strain mice were analyzed. Air-dried chromosome preparations from unfertilized oocytes revealed that about one-third of those examined were ovulated as primary oocytes. These were arrested at metaphase of the first meiotic division and exhibited the characteristic “tetrad” chromosome configuration. The remaining two-thirds of the unfertilized oocytes were ovulated at metaphase of the second meiotic division. The fertilized eggs were isolated from the oviducts of LT/Sv females previously mated to (C57BL × CBA) F1 hybrid males. Analysis of the fertilized eggs at metaphase of their first cleavage mitosis revealed that about one-third of the eggs examined were digynic triploids, whereas the remaining two-thirds had the normal diploid chromsome constitution. In the triploids, the 40 female chromosomes present (mouse, n = 20) were derived from a single diploid pronucleus formed after the extrusion of a first polar body, and following the monospermic fertilization of primary oocytes. The female pronuclear-derived chromosomes invariably exhibited “homologous pairing,” and these were associated at their centromeres. The ovulation, penetration, and subsequent fertilization of primary oocytes is an extremely unusual phenomenon in mammals and only appears to occur on a regular basis in LT/Sv mice. The premature “cytoplasmic maturation” of these oocytes is of interest, as they clearly have the same developmental capacity as secondary oocytes. The significance of these observations in relation to folliculogenesis and litter size in LT/Sv mice is discussed.     

Atrolnc-1在制动诱导小鼠后肢肌萎缩中的作用研究*

目的: 探讨Atrolnc-1在制动诱导小鼠后肢肌萎缩中的作用。方法: 将雄性C57BL/6小鼠随机分为对照组(Control)和制动组(Immobilization),每组10只。对照组不作任何实验处理,制动组小鼠右侧后肢装入自制塑料制动器固定。2周后分离其腓肠肌,用苏木素-伊红(HE)染色并观察腓肠肌形态学改变,测定肌纤维横截面积。采用实时荧光定量PCR(QRT-PCR)检测肌肉萎缩F-box蛋白(Atrogin-1)及肌萎缩特异性长链非编码RNA Atrolnc-1的变化。蛋白免疫印迹(WB)检测Atrogin-1、肌肉环状指蛋白1(MuRF-1)、胞浆及胞核p-NF-κB蛋白的表达。结果: 制动2周后小鼠腓肠肌萎缩。与对照组相比,制动组小鼠腓肠肌湿重减少(P＞0.05),腓肠肌湿重/体重千分比明显降低(P＜0.05);HE染色可见制动组骨骼肌大量肌纤维缩小或溶解,肌纤维横纹排列紊乱,间质见炎症细胞浸润;肌纤维横截面积减少(P＜0.01)。QRT-PCR及WB结果显示,Atrolnc-1表达上升(P＜0.01),胞浆p-NF-κB蛋白表达减少(P＜0.01),但胞核p-NF-κB蛋白表达升高(P＜0.01),同时Atrogin-1(P＜0.01)与MuRF-1(P＜0.01)表达均升高。结论: 制动诱导小鼠腓肠肌萎缩,可能与Atrolnc-1激活NF-κB入核,促进MuRF-1表达增加有关。     

Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania tropica: Cross immunity in C57BL/6 mice

Leishmania mexicana and Leishmania tropica infection were comparatively studied in C57BL/6 mice. Infection with 10⁴ amastigotes of L. mexicana was followed by the appearance of a single lesion which ulcerated in 8 weeks and healed in 24 weeks. Mice infected with 10⁴ amastigotes of L. tropica developed less severe lesions which healed in 18 weeks. In both cases healing was accompanied by a delayed hypersensitivity response and an in vitro lymphocyte reactivity to leishmanial antigens. Mice recovered from a primary infection with L. mexicana or L. tropica were resistant to both homologous and heterologous challenge. In vitro and in vivo immunological tests indicated that L. mexicana and L. tropica share antigenic determinants which are involved in cell-mediated immune responses to these parasites.     

Effect of exogenous hormones on the ovulation of primary and secondary oocytes in LT/Sv strain mice

LT/Sv strain mice ovulate both primary and secondary oocytes. These are fertilizable and give rise to digynic triploid and normal diploid conceptuses, respectively. A previous study [Kaufman and Speirs, 1987] had indicated that just over 20% of embryos recovered on the 10th day of gestation from spontaneously ovulating females had a triploid chromosome constitution. This value was considerably lower than might have been expected by extrapolation from earlier studies in which LT/Sv mice had been given exogenous gonadotrophins. In the present study, therefore, cytogenetic analysis of fertilized eggs was performed at the first cleavage mitosis in (1) spontaneously ovulating females mated to F1 hybrid males, and (2) superovulated females mated to similar males. Additional females from group (1) were autopsied on the 10th day of gestation, and the ploidy of embryos isolated at this stage of gestation was determined. Exposure to exogenous gonadotrophins significantly increased the proportion of eggs that were ovulated as primary oocytes (34.4%), compared to the situation observed following spontaneous ovulation (24.4%). All the triploids encountered in both series were of the digynic type and characteristically (for LT/Sv mice) had an oocyte-derived set with 40 chromosomes present, and a sperm-derived set containing 20 chromosomes. Similar numbers of eggs were recovered from spontaneously ovulating females on the 1st and 10th days of gestation, and the incidence of triploidy observed on the 10th day was 22.1%. The influence of exogenous hormones in increasing the “spontaneous” level of triploidy in LT/Sv and in other strains of mice is briefly reviewed.     

C57BL/6小鼠性别差异对髓鞘少突胶质糖蛋白诱导的实验性自身脑脊髓炎疾病的影响

多发性硬化是人类常见的中枢神经系统自身免疫性炎症致脱髓鞘疾病．流行病学研究发现,女性患者多于男性,其平均发病时间早于男性．实验性自身免疫性脑脊髓炎(EAE)与多发性硬化症有相似的临床症状和病理特征,是被广泛应用于人类疾病研究的动物模型．本实验利用髓鞘少突胶质糖蛋白MOG_33-35免疫C57BL/6小鼠建立EAE模型,观察29天．通过疾病评分发现雌雄小鼠在发病率、起病时间上均无明显差别,但雄鼠的发病症状明显比雌鼠严重．在其病理切片HE染色中观察到雄性小鼠中枢浸润的炎性细胞多于雌性小鼠,并且在LFB染色中同样观察到雄鼠脱髓鞘区域明显增大．对其发病高峰期中枢浸润细胞的染色分析时,可以发现雄性小鼠中浸润的CD4 T细胞及其亚群T_H-1和T_H-17细胞均有明显增加．这些都表明MOG_33-35免疫C57BL/6小鼠建立的EAE模型存在着性别差异的影响,这一发现为今后建立多发性硬化症的动物模型中动物性别的选择提供了一定的参考依据．     

The pathogenic potential of the combined action of chronic Opisthorchis felineus infection and repeated social defeat stress in C57BL/6 mice

Parasitic food-borne diseases and chronic social stress are frequent attributes of day-to-day human life. Therefore, our aim was to model the combined action of chronic Opisthorchis felineus infection and repeated social defeat stress in C57BL/6 mice. Histological examination of the liver revealed inflammation sites, pronounced periductal fibrosis, and cholangiofibrosis together with proliferation of bile ducts and hepatocyte dystrophy in the infected mice, especially in the stress-exposed ones. Simultaneously with liver pathology, we detected significant structural changes in the cerebral cortex. Immunohistochemical analysis of the hippocampus indicated the highest increase in numerical density of Iba 1-, IL-6-, iNOS-, and Arg1-positive cells in mice simultaneously subjected to the two adverse factors. The number of GFAP-positive cells rose during repeated social defeat stress, most strongly in the mice subjected to both infection and stress. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of genes Aif1 and Il6 differed among the analysed brain regions (hippocampus, hypothalamus, and frontal cortex) and depended on the adverse factors applied. In addition, among the brain regions, there was no consistent increase or decrease in these parameters when the two adverse treatments were combined: (i) in the hippocampus, there was upregulation of Aif1 and no change in Il6 expression; (ii) in the hypothalamus, expression levels of Aif1 and Il6 were not different from controls; and (iii) in the frontal cortex, Aif1 expression did not change while Il6 expression increased. It can be concluded that a combination of two long-lasting adverse factors, O. felineus infection and repeated social defeat stress, worsens not only the hepatic but also brain state, as evidenced behaviorally by disturbances of the startle response in mice.     

髓过氧化物酶与大剂量顺铂所致小鼠肝功能变化关系的探讨

目的利用大剂量顺铂（Cisplatin,DDP）诱发小鼠急性肾功能衰竭的动物模型,了解大剂量DDP在引起肾损伤的同时对小鼠肝的毒性作用,探讨髓过氧化物酶（Peroxidase,MPO）与DDP所致小鼠肝功能变化的关系。方法 C57BL/6小鼠50只,雌雄各半,依体重随机分为DDP用药组和生理盐水（NS）对照组。15 mg/kg DDP单次腹腔内注射,等量NS对照。分别取对照组小鼠和DDP用药后6、12、24和48 h小鼠各10只,称重后乙醚麻醉,内眦静脉取血检测肝、肾功能;剖腹取肝、称重、计算肝系数,并取少量肝组织行HE染色、形态学观察;检测血浆和肝组织匀浆中MPO活性,统计学分析。结果大剂量DDP用药后48 h,小鼠出现急性肾功能衰竭。DDP用药后6 h血清谷丙转氨酶（ALT）含量达（91.0±11.3）IU/L,与对照组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,随后血清ALT含量持续维持在高水平。DDP用药后各组小鼠肝系数明显升高,光镜下见肝细胞广泛变性水肿,肝小叶中可见点状坏死及炎细胞浸润。DDP用药后6 h,小鼠肝组织匀浆MPO含量显著升高,达（1.54±0.45）U/g,与对照组（0.58±0.28）U/g差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）,随后MPO含量降至正常水平;DDP用药后小鼠外周血MPO含量缓慢增高,用药后48 h达（12.78±2.78）U/L,与对照组（8.06±1.89）U/L比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论大剂量DDP在诱发小鼠急性肾功能衰竭的同时还可引起小鼠急性肝细胞的破坏,其发生可能与肝组织内白细胞的激活及MPO的释放有关。     

Hyperalgesic effect of emotional stress in mice of strains C57BL/6J and CBA/CaLac: Interaction with circadian rhythm-related effects

We studied emotional stress-induced modulations of the pain reaction evoked in mice of strains C57BL/6J and CBA/CaLac by subcutaneous injections of formalin; the measurements were performed at midtimes of a “dark” and a “light” phase of the pre-set fixed circadian rhythm. The magnitude of the pain reaction was estimated indirectly, according to characteristics of locomotion of the animal in a running wheel (the velocity of locomotion and the distance covered were considered values inversely correlating with the intensity of the pain response). We found that the intensity of the pain reaction within both phases of the circadian rhythm increased under the influence of stress, and that there were significant differences between the emotional stress-modulated intensities of the pain response observed in the examined genetic strains of mice. Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 38, Nos. 5/6, pp. 466–471, September–December, 2006.     

寒冷对雌性C57BL/6小鼠动情周期的影响*

目的:研究寒冷对雌性C57BL/6小鼠动情周期的影响。方法:12只雌性小鼠随机分为对照组、低温组,每组6只;低温组每天4℃暴露4 h,每天阴道涂片法观察小鼠动情状况,对照组饲养于常温动物房;每2 d称量体重,2周后心脏取血、子宫和卵巢,检测小鼠血清E2、FSH、LH、Prl、P水平,进行子宫、卵巢的组织病理学检查。结果:与对照组比较,低温组小鼠体重无显著性差异(P＞0.05),小鼠子宫脏器系数明显较低、动情间期明显延长(P＜0.01),血清FSH显著升高、Prl显著降低(P＜0.01),小鼠子宫腺管扩张,卵巢卵泡数量明显减少。结论:寒冷可使雌性C57BL/6小鼠动情周期延长,进而可能影响生殖功能。     

Carcinogenicity test in B6C3F1 mice after parental and prenatal exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields

Some epidemiological studies suggest association of childhood cancer with occupational exposure of the parents to magnetic fields. To test this relationship, 50 each of C57BL/6J female and C3H/HeJ male mice were exposed for 2 and 9 weeks, respectively, to 50 Hz sham (group A), 0.5 (group B), and 5 mT (group C) sinusoidal alternating magnetic fields. They were mated under the exposure for up to 2 weeks, and the exposure was continued until parturition. All the B6C3F1 offspring, without adjusting numbers of animals, were clinically observed without exposure to magnetic field for a nominal 78 weeks from 6-8 weeks of age after weaning and then euthanized for pathological examination according to a routine carcinogenicity test. 540 pups entered the test, and the survival rate was 96.7%. No F1 mouse died of tumoral diseases before a male in A group died of stomach cancer at 43 weeks of age. The first animal death in the exposed groups due to tumor occurred at 71 weeks of age. Eighteen animals died before necropsy at 84-86 weeks of age. No significant difference was detected in the final number of survivors and incidence of tumors between groups A and B, or A and C. Concerning reproduction total implants in group B were less than in group A and the difference was on the borderline of significance (P=.05). This difference was not reproduced in a later duplicate experiment.