© 1995 Oxford University Press
Host Resistance to Trichinella spiralis Infection in Rats Exposed to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)
We have previously shown decreased resistance to
Trichinella spiralis (Ts) infection and reduced parasite antigen-specific
responses in B6C3F1 mice exposed to TCDD before infection. The
current study was done to characterize the effects of preinfection
administration of 1, 10, or 30 µg TCDD/kg on host resistance
of female F344 rats to Ts infection and to examine parasite
antigen-specific responses in the spleen and mesenteric lymph
nodes of infected animals. TCDD exposure did not affect adult
parasite elimination from the small intestine or the numbers
of encysted larvae in the muscle, although host control of newborn
larvae production in female parasites isolated from the highest
dose group was compromised. Proliferative responses of lymphocytes
cultured with parasite antigen were enhanced in groups of rats
exposed to 30 µg TCDD/kg. These results, which are in
marked contrast to the effects obtained in B6C3FI mice, demonstrate
a clear species difference in the effects of TCDD on immune
function in rodents and underscore the need to determine which
species more closely reflects the potential outcome of human
exposure to TCDD.
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