Parasitology (2005), 131:

Copyright © 2005 Cambridge University Press

doi:10.1017/S0031182005007468

Published online by Cambridge University Press 21Apr2005

In vitro and in vivo effects of progesterone on Trichinella spiralis newborn larvae

G. G. NUÑEZ a1 ,T. GENTILE a1 ,S. N. COSTANTINO a1 ,M. I. SARCHI a2 and S. M. VENTURIELLO a1 c1
a1 Humoral Immunity Studies Institute, CONICET, Chair of Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
a2 Chair of Mathematics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

We have previously demonstrated that during pregnancy there exists an increased parasiticide activity against Trichinella spiralis newborn larvae (NBL) in infected rats. In this work we analysed the contribution of peritoneal cells from non-infected pregnant rats to the mortality of the NBL in cytotoxicity assays, and evaluated the role of progesterone in this effector mechanism. Our findings suggest that progesterone can induce activation of effector peritoneal cells to destroy the NBL in a rapid and antibody-independent manner. The administration of progesterone to ovariectomized rats also led to a significant decrease in the parasite load of the animals, thus demonstrating that progesterone induces the increase of the parasiticide activity of the leukocytes involved in the mechanisms of NBL death.

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=324605#