Strongyloides stercoralis: The First Rodent Model for Uncomplicated and Hyperinfective Strongyloidiasis, the Mongolian Gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 168; no. 6; pp. 1479 - 1484
• Main Authors: Nolan, Thomas J., Megyeri, Zoltan, Bhopale, Veena M., Schad, Gerhard A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The University of Chicago Press 01.12.1993; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Disease Models, Animal; Dogs; Dosage; Female; Gerbillinae; Gerbils; Infections; Larvae; Larval development; Major Articles; Male; Male animals; Methylprednisolone - analogs & derivatives; Methylprednisolone - pharmacology; Methylprednisolone Acetate; Parasite hosts; Parasites; Strongyloides stercoralis - drug effects; Strongyloides stercoralis - immunology; Strongyloidiasis; Strongyloidiasis - immunology; Strongyloidiasis - parasitology; Strongyloidiasis - transmission
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/168.6.1479

Strongyloidiasis is the most common endemic helminthiasis in several of the world's industrialized nations, yet relatively little is known about its basic biology and immunobiology because a practical rodent model for the investigation of this clinically important parasitism is lacking. This study reports such a model for use in the investigation of Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Normal male gerbils infected subcutaneously with 1000 infective filariform larvae harbored moderate numbers (83.6 ± 27.6) of adult worms at 35 days after infection, and a low-grade infection persisted for at least 131 days mimicking the chronicity of human infections. Gerbils treated weekly with 2 mg of methylprednisolone acetate developed hyperinfective strongyloidiasis with up to 8000 autoinfective larvae occurring in these animals at postinfection day 21. Autoinfection never occurred in normal (untreated) gerbils.