Title:
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The immune response to the intestinal parasite Trichuris muris : an ultrastructural study
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This thesis reports on the infection by Trichuris muris of resistant (8ALB/c) and
susceptible (AKR) strains of mice, here used as a model to determine the histological
aspects of host-parasite interaction. The resistant BALB/c strain rejected the parasites after
Day 14 post-infection. Sequential stages in the infection of the caecum were studied by
LM; SEM and TEM. The structure of the crypts were examined in all stages from Day 0
(control) to adult stage (45 Days) of post-infection of AKR mice and from Day 0 (control)
to Day 14 post-infection of BALB/c mice. The caecum tract is made up of four distinctive
layers, the mucosa; the submucosa; the muscularis externa and the serosa. The mucosa is
lined by columnar epithelium which is folded into numerous Crypts of Lieberkuhn. The
crypts contain mucosal mast cells, enterocytes and goblet cells. The lamina propria
contains some different cell types such as fibroblasts, and cells of the immune system. The
early larvae were present in the caecal mucosa within the enterocytes at the base of the
crypts and coiled towards the lumen. As the larvae developed, there was a corresponding
increase in damage to the epithelium. In the late stages, as the worms matured in AKR
mice, they expanded out of the crypt towards the lumen where they were visible near the
surface. The worms were always surrounded by distorted syncytial tissue of the mucosa
which forms a tunnel.
In cross section, the pharyngeal region of the larvae showed an enormously elongated
capillary-like oesophagus surrounded by an oesophageal gland (stichosome) which
contains the stichocytes. The stichosome of the larvae at Day 14 post-infection of AKR
mice contains two set of stichocytes, whilst in BALB/c mice the stichosome contains only
one set of stichocytes. Also the larvae at Day 14 post-infection in BALB/c mice did not
form tortuous tunnels on the surface of the mucosa. This is probably because the larvae in
BALB/c mice do not develop as far as those in AKR mice. The cuticle of the larvae is a
two-layered structure which appeared similar in both AKR and BALB/c mice. At Day 14
post-infection of both AKR & BALB/c mice, the larvae exhibited similar moulting
activity. The oesophageal region of the adult worm within the syncytial tunnel is covered
with a three-layered cuticle. The oesophageal region of the adult worm within the
syncytial tunnel is covered with a three-layered cuticle. The oesophageal region of the
larvae at Day 14 post-infection of both AKR & BALB/c contain a single cuticular pore
area, the bacillary band which was at an early stage of its formation. The bacillary band of
the adult faces the main body of the host's tissue. The bacillary band is an area of cuticular
pores, each with underlying hypodermal gland cells and is a highly specialised region of
the worm, probably with a secretory activity. The area beneath the cuticular pore forms the pore chamber. The cell membrane of the gland cells beneath the pore chamber is highly
enfolded to form the lamellar apparatus. The adult stichosome is made up of a long
column of 15-25 stichocytes. Cytoplasmic components of the stichocytes include granules,
rough endoplasmic reticulum, lipid droplets, glycogen, mitochondria, Golgi complex and
canalicular trees. The possible role of secretory activity in the bacillary band has obvious
implications in initiating a host immune response and was investigated by EM
immunocytochemistry in order to detect the binding sites of antibodies to Emuris specific
proteins. The rabbit polyclonal IgG showed strong reactivity with the cuticle, stichocytes,
bacillary band, and the host tissue. The polyclonal anti-human IFN-gamma also showed
strong potential in detecting antigens in the cuticle, stichocyte and bacillary band, but it
was not particularly effective in detecting antigens in the host tissue. The polyclonal antimurine
IFN-gamma demonstrated weak staining in the worm tissue, although it had a
stronger staining in the host tissue. Rat monoclonal IgM showed a relative potential in
staining the cuticle, bacillary band, stichocyte, and host tissue. This thesis provides new
knowledge about the early and late stages of post-infection. It also provides new
knowledge about the possible secretory function of the bacillary band in invoking an
Immune response.
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