Oral Dosing of Neonatal Mice with Sucrose Reduces Infection with Cryptosporidium parvum

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 85; no. 5; pp. 952 - 955
• Main Author: Harp, James A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01-10-1999
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Animal diseases; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Biological and medical sciences; Cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidiosis - parasitology; Cryptosporidiosis - prevention & control; Cryptosporidium parvum; Cryptosporidium parvum - drug effects; Cryptosporidium parvum - growth & development; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Susceptibility; Dosage; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Epithelial cells; Experimental protozoal diseases and models; Histology; Humans; Ileum - parasitology; Ileum - pathology; Infections; Infectious diseases; Isomaltose; Isomaltose - administration & dosage; Isomaltose - pharmacology; Isomaltose - therapeutic use; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Oocysts; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Protozoal diseases; Sucrose; Sucrose - administration & dosage; Sucrose - pharmacology; Sucrose - therapeutic use; Sugars; Therapeutics-Diagnostics; Protozoa; Host parasite relation; Apicomplexa; Protozoal disease; Sucrose; Rodentia; Gut; Oral administration; Host; Parasitosis; Epithelium; Dose activity relation; Infection; Cryptosporidiosis; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Cryptosporidium parvum; Decrease; Mouse; Newborn animal; Infestation; Colonization
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.2307/3285834

Cryptosporidium parvum is a significant cause of diarrheal disease in humans and economically important livestock species. There is no effective treatment available for this protozoan parasite. Mechanisms of intestinal colonization by C. parvum are not well understood, but it has been suggested that the parasite may utilize a lectin-like receptor. We used an infant mouse model to test whether high sugar concentrations in the intestine would affect in vivo colonization with C. parvum. We found that a single oral dose of sucrose, administered to mice at the time of, or 24 hr before, challenge with C. parvum significantly reduced infection. Significant reduction of infection was also seen in mice given isomaltose. Histologic examination of intestinal sections of mice treated with sucrose or isomaltose, but not other sugars, showed marked vacuolation of the small intestinal epithelium 1 day after treatment. Three days after treatment, tissue appeared normal. Thus, sucrose and, to a lesser extent, isomaltose reduced in vivo colonization with C. parvum and altered epithelial cell morphology in intestines of mice.