Nippostrongylus brasiliensis: infection induces upregulation of acetylcholinesterase activity on rat intestinal epithelial cells

Expression of cholines terases and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the jejunal mucosa has been investigated during infection of rats with the nematode parasite Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. Selective expression of m3 receptors was observed on epithelial cells from uninfected rats and animals 7 days postinfection, and saturation binding with [(3)H]quinuclidinyl benzilate indicated that receptor expression on cell membranes was unaltered by infection. Butyrylcholinesterase was highly expressed in mucosal epithelia, but acetylcholinesterase was present at low levels in uninfected animals. In contrast, discrete foci of intense acetylcholinesterase activity were observed on the basement membrane of intestinal epithelial cells in animals infected with N. brasiliensis. This was demonstrated to be due to upregulation of expression of endogenous enzyme, which peaked at Day 10 postinfection and subsequently declined to preinfection levels. It is suggested that this occurs in response to hyper-activation of the enteric nervous system as a result of infection, and may benefit the host by limiting excessive fluid secretion due to cholinergic stimulation.