Trypanocidal drugs and the role of kidney forms ofTrypanosoma (Herpetosoma) musculi in immunity of mice against reinfection

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Abstract
Adrenals, hearts, kidneys, livers, lungs, and spleens were removed from C3H/Anf mice which had been inoculated withTrypanosoma (Herpetosoma) musculi and no longer exhibited parasitemias. Imprints of each organ were examined microscopically, and each was homogenized and injected into recipient mice. It was confirmed that trypanosomes could be detected only in the donor kidneys. Lampit or Ethidium treatment eliminated bloodstream and kidney forms when administration was initiated after the development of patent parasitemias. However, mice treated with Lampit on the same day they were inoculated withT. musculi developed parasitemias later than animals injected with drug after parasites had appeared in their blood. Both Lampit and Ethidium depressed antibody production as detected in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of antisera from animals having parasitemias at the time of treatment. The elimination of kidney forms by Lampit or Ethidium treatment did not reduce the resistance of mice to reinfection byT. musculi 12 weeks or 15 and 25 weeks, respectively, after the initial inoculation of these animals with the parasites. Kidney forms were not required for the sustained protective immunity of the mice against reinfection during the intervals of these experiments.

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