Structural changes in the bovine nematode Haemonchus placei, that may be associated with host immune response

Abstract

The structure of H. placei adult worms, obtained from calves at 4, 7, 10 or 11–13 weeks after primary infection, has been studied. A reorganization of rough endoplasmic reticuhim in the cytoplasm of the gut cells was seen at 10 weeks and this was followed by marked vacuolation of many of these cells, associated with an increase in lipid production. Increases of lipid were also found in the hypodermis, lateral cords and occasionally muscle cells of worms examined at 11–13 weeks after infection.It is suggested that these changes are the result of the host immune response, because they resemble changes which occur in the rat nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and which are known to be caused by host immunity.

The structure of the intestine of Nematodirus battus and changes during the course of aninfection in lambs

“…Some of the changes in the structure of the intestinal cell of N. battus described in this paper are similar to changes which occur in N. brasiliensis, in H. placei and in Trichinella spiralis during the course of infections in their respective hosts when an immunity appears to develop against these nematodes (Ogilvie & Hockley, 1968;Lee, 19696;Harness et at. 1973;Love, Ogilvie & McLaren, 1976).…”

“…The worms are driven away from the mucosa in the later stages of the infection, and this could bring about a cessation of feeding with an associated fall in requirements for digestive enzymes to be produced by the intestinal cells and also a fall in glycogen reserves. A similar fall occurs in the amount of glycogen present in the intestinal cells of H. placei (Harness et at. 1973) but does not appear to occur in N. brasiliensis (Lee, 19696).…”

“…The intestine of adult N. battus is similar in structure to that of several other trichostrongyle nematodes which are parasitic in animals (Jamuar, 1966;Lee, 1969a, b;Smith & Harness, 1972;Harness, Smith & Bland, 1973). There are, however, a number of minor differences; differences in structure of the intestinal cells of N. battus allow the division of the intestine into anterior, middle and posterior regions.…”

Immunological relationships during primary infection with Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Nematospiroides dubius): the capacity of adult worms to survive following transplantation to recipient mice

“…The most obvious feature was a gradual darkening of adult worm haemoglobin from an initial bright red to an almost dark brown colour in the terminal stages of infection. Furthermore, electron microscopical analysis revealed depletion of the gonads and damage to the intestinal cells and to the body wall comparable to the changes encountered in N. brasiliensis, T. spiralis, Strongyloides ratti and Haemonchus placei during the loss phase of these species from their respective hosts (Kennedy & Bruce, 1981;Moqbel & McLaren, 1980;Ogilvie & Hockley, 1968;Harness, Smith & Bland. 1973).…”

Untersuchungen über die Immunelimination von Trichinells spiralis bei Ratten

“…Dabei wurde i. d. R. nicht zwischen einer Wirkung auf a) die Ansiedlung der Infektionslarven, b) die Elimination der adulten Darmtrichinellen und c) die Ansiedlung der neugeborenen Larven unterschieden. Versucht man dies nachtraglich, so stellt sich heraus, dai3 allenfalls aus den Untersuchungen von OLIVER-GONZALES (1941) (MICHEL et al, 1971) und Haemonchus placei (HARNESS et al, 1973) beschrieben, aber nur bei N . brasiliensis als Schadigung durch Antikorper nachgewiesen (OGILVIE u. HOCKLEY, 1968).…”