Laboratory Animals > Volume 34, Number 3 > Pp. 290-297

This Article 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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shimizu-Suganuma, M. Articles by Fujita, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Papers

Differential susceptibil ity to Brugia pahangi infection in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) of different coat colour

Masumi Shimizu-Suganuma, Kazuhiro Shichinohe, Setsuko Tsukidate and Koichiro Fujita

Department of Laboratory Animal Science. Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5. Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; Department of Medical Zoology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; Department of Laboratory Animal Science. Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5. Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; Department of Medical Zoology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; Department of Medical Zoology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; Department of Medical Zoology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan

The influence of intraspecific host variables on the response to parasitic infections is an important aspect of host-parasite relationships, yet little is known about this aspect of filariasis for lack of a model. This study presents coat colour mutants of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) as potential new models for research into the effects of host genetic variation on response to filarial infection. Peak level of microfilaraemia, eosinophil response, body weight and degree of splenomegaly in gerbils infected with Brugia pahangi varied with agouti, albino, and black coat colour. These results suggested that coat colour-related genes might influence host immune response to developmental stages of the parasite and eosinophil-mediated reaction might cause host damage.

Key Words: BRUGIA PAHANGI • EOSINOPHIL • GENETIC VARIANT • MICROFILARIA • MONGOLIAN GERBIL

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?