COMPARISON OF ACTIVITIES OF MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTE SYSTEM BETWEEN THE COTTON RAT, SIGMODON-HISPIDUS, AND THE JIRD, MERIONES-UNGUICULATUS, IN RELATION TO THE TREATMENT OF FILARIASIS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 53  (6) , 257-262
Abstract
The cotton rat and jird, matched according to age and the period after infection with Litomosoides carinii, were administered i.p. with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) at a single dose of 100 mg/kg. Microfilaria counts were conducted 0.5, 1, and 6 h and 1, 4 and 7 days after treatment with DEC. The average percent microfilaria density was significantly higher in the jird than in the cotton rat at any given time except at 6 h, when a slight increase was observed in the cotton rat. To clarify the cause of different microfilaricidal activities of DEC between the cotton rat and jird, function of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) was compared in the 2 animals by observing clearance of the C particles introduced into blood vessels. The amount of remaining C in the vessels was always lower in the cotton rat than in the jird from 30 min on after C injection. The clearance index K, which is thought to reflect the phagocytic capability of MPS, was higher in the cotton rat than in the jird. Microscopic examination also showed differences in the amount of C phagocytosed by the Kupffer cells of the liver in the 2 animals. The difference in microfilaricidal effect of DEC may be due to different phagocytic activity of MPS.

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