This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sukura, A. Articles by Oivanen, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sukura, A. Articles by Oivanen, L.

Trichinella nativa and T. spiralis Induce Distinguishable Histopathologic and Humoral Responses in the Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (AS, AN, TM, MN, LO); and National Veterinary and Food Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland (LO)

Three experimental groups of six male raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) each were formed by placing one of three littermates from six litters into each group. One group was inoculated with pig-origin Trichinella spiralis, the second was inoculated with raccoon dog-origin T. nativa, and the third served as a control group. The infective dose was 1,000 larvae/kg of body weight. Every third week, biopsies from M. triceps brachii were taken, and serum samples were collected for up to 12 weeks postinfection. In the early phase of the infection, cysts of both parasites were elongated cylinders that later became more spherical. However, at the end of the experiment, the cysts of T. nativa were more rounded than those of T. spiralis (mean length/width = 2.5 versus 1.5 in T. spiralis versus T. nativa, respectively). Both species accumulated a collagen-rich capsule around the nurse cell, but the capsule was thicker in T. nativa. In both parasites, the total surface area of the sagittal section of the cyst was equal. Inflammation was more intense around T. nativa cysts. Specific antibodies were recognizable 2 weeks after infection by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot. In western blots, serum from both T. nativa- and T. spiralis-infected animals recognized the same components, but reaction with the homologous antigen was stronger. The same pattern was also seen in the ELISA. Immunoreactive epitopes were localized only in internal organs and cuticula of larvae in muscle.

Key words: Histopathology; host–parasite relationship; morphology; Nyctereutes procyonoides; Trichinella nativa; Trichinella spiralis.

Request reprints from Dr. A. Sukura, Section of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 57, University of Helsinki 00014, Helsinki (Finland).

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Saari, N. Airas, A. Nareaho, V. Vihma, K. Autio, S. Sankari, and A. Sukura A nonhealing ulcerative skin lesion associated with Trichinella nativa infection in a cat J Vet Diagn Invest, November 1, 2008; 20(6): 839 - 843. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]