Enhancement of intestinal eosinophilia duringHymenolepis nanainfection in mice

Abstract

AbstractThe ability ofHymenolepis nanaoncosphere extract to induce eosinophil chemotactic response was examinedin vitroandin vivo. The extract showed a chemotactic activity specific for eosinophils but not for neutrophils. Partially purified eosinophil chemotactic factors (ECFs) from the oncosphere extract showed apparent molecular mass from 5.5 to 9.6kDa and 30 to 40kDa. These were resistant to heating and proteinase K digestion but sensitive to periodate oxidation. Peritoneal injection of the crude extract or partially purified ECFs to mice resulted in a preferential eosinophil infiltration. The chemotactic activity for eosinophils was not separable from the adhesion molecule expression or oxygen radical-inducing activity by means of chromatography or chemical treatments. Furthermore, histological examination demonstrated a marked tissue eosinophilia aroundH. nanalarvae in the intestinal lamina propria of both humoral and cell-mediated immunodeficiency mice. The present findings suggest thatH. nanaoncosphere-derived molecules facilitatein vivothe intestinal eosinophilia during the infection.