IMMUNOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL TOXOPLASMOSIS.
Abstract
It is well known that an infection of Toxoplasma develops an immunity which inhibits conspiciously the growth of the same organisms inoculated subsequently. Biological and morphological approach to the effect of this immunity was the main purpose of the present studies. Organisms inoculated into immune mice were not killed immediately, but could survive and even multiply somehow in the tissues at the early stage of the challenge infection. Most of them were, however, destroyed soon and only a small number of parasite could survive in tissues for a long period. Trans-placental infection occurred rarely in immune mice, while in control non-immune pregnant mice, it occurred very often by an intravenous challenge. By the use of an immunoelectron-microscopic method, it was found that a barrier was posed on the limiting membrane of an intracellular vacuole in which Toxoplasma is located. This barrier was made of deposits of antigenic material and could protect the organism from the effect of the anibody. Splenectomy and cortisone treatment inhibited the immune response of the host and even by an infection of low virulent strain, inflammatory response became manifest. Ultrastructure of macrophage cells showed a larger number of lysosomes, mitochondria and profiles of endoplasmic reticulum as compared with normal cacrophages. By the infection of Toxoplasma in these cells, however, number of these organellae decreased very quickly. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0638639
Entities
People
- Hisakichi Matsubayashi
Organizations
- Keio University