Interferon-gamma treatment in mice experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis

Interferon-tau (IFN-tau) treatment of Trichinella spiralis-infected BALB/c mice was investigated. The therapeutic regimen consisted of daily intraperitoneal injection of 10(4) U murine IFN-tau for 7 days, starting at 2 weeks post-infection. Striated muscle samples (diaphragm, thigh) were collected at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after infection. The muscle larval burden, the degree of encystation and the digestion of T. spiralis larvae were investigated. Furthermore, immunohistochemical studies of the inflammatory cell infiltrate around encysted larvae were performed. The results demonstrated an influence of IFN-tau treatment on the CD4+ and CD8+ subset distribution during the immune response but revealed no difference in the degree of encystation or digestion of encapsulated larvae as compared with control values.