Influence Of Age Of Mice On The Susceptibility To Murine Schistosomiasis Infection
Date
2006-01Author
Yole, DS
Gikuru, SK
Wango, EO
Kithome, K
Kiarie, S
Limo, M
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Intensity of human schistosomiasis infection increases with age, a peak being attained at early puberty. Hormones could be involved in the age-related changes in susceptibility to schistosomiasis. Male BALB / c mice were infected with Schistosoma mansoni either before or after puberty and worm numbers, cellular immune responses, hormonal levels and pathology analysed. Pre-puberty infected mice had a significantly higher number of adult worms (p < 0.05), more severe granulomas, higher mortality rate and higher proliferative responses as compared to post-puberty infected mice. Levels of the hormones were lower in the pre-puberty infected mice as compared to the post-puberty group early in the infection. Plasma levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormones decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in infected mice when compared to controls. Susceptibility to S. mansoni in male BALB / c mice seems to be influenced by levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone at infection. Albeit, an infection with S. mansoni seems to lower the hormonal levels.
URI
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Influence+of+age+of+mice+on+the+susceptibility+to+murine+schistosomiasis+infectionhttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/37523
Citation
Afr J Health Sci. 2006 Jan-Jun;13(1-2):47-54Publisher
University of Nairobi Institute of Primate Research