Faculty Research 1990 - 1999

The immunodeficient scid mouse as a model for human lymphatic filariasis.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1991

Keywords

Brugia, Disease-Models-Animal, Elephantiasis-Filarial: im, pa, Human, Immunoglobulins: ge, Immunologic-Deficiency-Syndromes: ge, co, Inflammation, Lymphocyte-Subsets: im, Mice, Mice-Mutant-Strains, Receptors-Antigen-T-Cell: ge, Spleen: im, SUPPORT-NON-U-S-GOVT, SUPPORT-U-S-GOVT-P-H-S

First Page

659

Last Page

663

JAX Source

J Exp Med 1991 Mar 1; 173(3):659-63.

Grant

AI30046, AI30389, CA20408

Abstract

The C.B.-17-scid/scid mouse (hereafter referred to as the scid mouse) is homozygous for a recessive mutation at a locus that influences the assembly of intact immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes. Therefore, scid mice cannot generate functional B or T lymphocytes, are profoundly immunodeficient, and have been reported to be receptive to reconstitution with human immune cells. In the present study, we injected scid mice with infective larvae of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi. Within 6-10 wk after subcutaneous injection of infective L3 larvae, both male and female worms were observed in various stages of development in 90% of the mice. In animals tested 8 weeks or more after infection, microfilariae were detected in the blood or peritoneal cavity of 52% of the mice examined. Adult worms were observed in the lymphatics of the infected scid mice, where their presence was associated with lymphangitis and lymphangiectasia. These results suggest that the scid mouse model of lymphatic filariasis may be important in investigation of the interaction of the murine, and possibly the human, immune system with the lymphatic filarial parasite.

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