Vitamin A deficiency and the development ofLitomosoides carinii (Nematoda, Filarioidea) in cotton rats

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Abstract
Summary This paper demonstrates that vitamin A deficient (A−) cotton rats are more susceptible to infection withLitomosoides carinii than normal (A+) cotton rats. However, embryogenesis is frequently retarded in female worms from A− hosts. Groups of young cotton rats were depleted of their liver stores of vitamin A by feeding them a vitamin A free diet from weaning. From 6 weeks of age this diet was supplemented with either 2, 5, 10, 25 or 100 IU vitamin A per 100 g body weight per day and half the animals in each group were infected withL. carinii. At autopsy, 51 days post-infection, serum vitamin A levels were proportional to vitamin A intake but were unaffected by infection (PPP<0.02). However, microfilarial development was retarded in female worms from A− animals as compared with A+ ones.

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