Effect of exogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine on pathogenicity of Entamoeba histolytica in experimental animals

In an effort to find out the mechanism(s) operative in enhancing the pathogenicity of E. histolytica in hosts under heat stress reported earlier, effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on the virulence of the parasite was examined in just weaned Charles Foster strain of albino rats. Pathogenicity of 10 strains of E. histolytica, from various forms of intestinal amoebiasis, grown in modified Boeck and Drbohlav's medium was assessed by caecal scoring. Administration of 5-HT in infected animals significantly enhanced the pathogenicity of all the seven strains tested. Treatment of the host with the 5-HT precursor L-tryptophan also increased the caecal scores examined with three strains of E. histolytica. Prior blocking of tissue 5-HT receptors by administration of methysergide almost completely abolished the pathogenicity enhancing effect of 5-HT treatment. This suggested that 5-HT itself and not any of its metabolites was responsible for the observed increase in pathogenicity of E. histolytica on 5-HT treatment of the host.