Murine Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis : H-2 complex and sex influence on susceptibility

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 77; no. 3; pp. 243 - 246
• Main Authors: SCIUTTO, E, FRAGOSO, G, DIAZ, M. L, VALDEZ, F, MONTOYA, R. M, GOVEZENSKY, T, LOMELI, C, LARRALDE, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-01-1991
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cysticercosis; Cysticercosis - genetics; Cysticercosis - immunology; Cysticercosis - parasitology; Cysticercus - growth & development; Diseases caused by cestodes; Female; Genes, MHC Class I; Genetic Linkage; Helminthic diseases; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred DBA; Parasitic diseases; Peritoneal Cavity - parasitology; Sex Characteristics; Time Factors; Sex linked character; Cysticercosis; Major histocompatibility system; Rodentia; Plathelmintha; Cestoda; H-2-System; Helminthiasis; Cestod disease; Infection; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Sensitivity resistance; Mouse; Helmintha; Influence; Taenia crassiceps; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00930866

Several inbred strains of mice were infected by intraperitoneal injection of ten Taenia crassiceps cysticerci per mouse. Genes linked with the major histocompatibility complex (H-2) were found to influence parasite growth greatly, as demonstrated by the different parasite loads of H-2 congenic mice with BALB background: BALB/c (H-2d) mice were the most susceptible, whereas BALB/k (H-2k) and BALB/b (H-2b) animals were comparatively resistant. Non-H-2 genes had no significant effect on susceptibility in H-2d strains, as reflected by the similar parasite loads in BALB/c, DBA/2, and (BALB/c x DBA/2)F1 mice. Using the H-2b (BALB/b, C57BL/6J) and H-2k (C3H/HeJ, BALB/k, and C3HeB/FeJ) strains, we found that non-H-2 background genes caused a small but significant influence on parasite load. A recombinant mouse strain alleles (Kk, Ik, Sd, Dd) was also susceptible, indicating that S and/or D regions of the H-2d complex are probably involved in the control of resistance to murine cysticercosis. Females of all mouse strains were more susceptible than males. The same effects were observed for H-2 genes and sex, with two strains of T. crassiceps differing in their rate of growth.