Infections of Brugia pahangi in conventional and nude (athymic) mice

AKR, BALB/c and CBA/Ca and T.O. mice were completely resistant to infection with third stage infective larvae of Brugia pahangi. Third, fourth and fifth stage worms transplanted from the peritoneal cavity of jirds into the peritoneal cavity of mice continued to develop. BALB/c mice were the most susceptible of the strains tested and adult worms were obtained after each type of transplanted infection. Congenitally athymic nude mice were much less resistant to transplanted worms and infective larvae developed to full maturity in most of them. Ten of 14 athymic mice infected by the intraperitoneal (ip) inoculation of infective larvae had microfilariae in their blood or peritoneal cavities. At autopsy a percentage recovery of adult worms of 0-38% (mean 11.1%) was obtained. Microfilariae were only found in the blood of 2 of 6 athymic mice infected by subcutaneous (sc) infection and at autopsy 0-19.1% (mean 6.1%) recoveries were obtained. The thymic littermates of the nudes were more resistant than those most of the other strains used.