Activity of natural killer (NK) cells in the course of experimental trichinellosis in mice
Bany, J.; Janiak, M.K.; Budzyński, W.
Wiadomosci Parazytologiczne 38(3-4): 117-126
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0043-5163 PMID: 1299057 Document Number: 402985
B6C3F1 mice were infected with 200 or 500 larvae of Trichinella spiralis per mouse and pulmonary NK cell-mediated clearance of semisyngeneic tumour cells was determined in vivo on days 10, 20, 30 and 60 post infection (pi). Cytotoxic activity of NK cells in the lungs was substantially elevated on days 20 and 30 pi with both infection levels of T. spiralis. At the same time large granular lymphocytes (LGL) as well as cells expressing surface asialo-GM1 molecules were isolated in elevated numbers from spleens of the infected but not from the normal mice. Expression of other markers of differentiation, such as THy 1.2, CD4 and CD8 was also enhanced on splenocytes isolated from the infected mice on day 30 but not day 20 pi. These results indicate that NK cell-mediated activity in vivo is stimulated above the baseline level during migration and early muscle phases of the infection with T. spiralis in mice. The possible impact of this effect upon the course of trichinellosis as well as upon the growth of tumours in the infected host is discussed.