Experimental anisakid infections in mice

Area of Science:

• Parasitology
• Immunology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Anisakidosis is a human parasitic disease from Anisakidae family infections, often acquired through fish consumption.
• Larval migration causes gastrointestinal damage and allergic reactions like asthma and anaphylaxis.
• Existing mouse models for anisakidosis lack gastric larval introduction, limiting immunological and damage studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize serum reactivity against Anisakis spp. and Contracaecum spp. in Balb/c mice after orogastric inoculation.
• To assess gastrointestinal damage following inoculation with live anisakid larvae.
• To evaluate the development of immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgG responses to nematode antigens.

Main Methods:

• Orogastric inoculation of live Anisakis spp. and Contracaecum spp. larvae in Balb/c mice.
• Serum screening for IgE and IgG anti-larva responses using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
• Analysis of serum reactivity against somatic and excretory/secretory antigens.

Main Results:

• Significant anti-IgG seroreactivity to Anisakis somatic and excretory/secretory antigens was observed in inoculated mice compared to controls (P<0.001).
• No gastric or intestinal damage was detected in mice inoculated with Anisakis or Contracaecum larvae.
• Introduction of live Contracaecum spp. into the gastrointestinal tract did not induce serum sensitization.

Conclusions:

• Orogastric inoculation of Anisakis larvae in mice is a viable model for studying host immune responses, specifically IgG production.
• The model did not reveal gastrointestinal damage or IgE sensitization, suggesting a need for further investigation into these aspects.
• Contracaecum spp. larvae did not elicit a detectable immune response via serum sensitization when introduced into the mouse gastrointestinal tract.