Systemic Anti-Inflammatory Effect Associated with Enteric Trichinellosis in the Rat

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The hypothesis that enteric parasites which induce local inflammation in their host suppress inflammatory reactions at distant sites was tested. A technique was developed to demonstrate quantitatively such an anti-inflammatory component. The systemic antiphlogistic effect produced by the intestinal stages of Trichinella spiralis was studied and compared with that caused by dexamethasone, a synthetic adrenocortical steroid. Inflammation was measured (dry weight, protein content, myeloperoxidase activity) as the amount of granulation tissue accumulated around a sterile cotton string implanted for 1 wk under the abdominal skin of rats. Based on this assay, T. spiralis infection had a systemic anti-inflammatory effect on the host which was directly dose related. Steroid treatment also had a dose-dependent suppressive effect on granuloma formation. The maximum dose (56 .times. 103 larvae/kg body weight) of T. spiralis used had suppressive activity equivalent to 1.0 mg/kg body weight of steroid.