Killing effect of gamma irradiation on Angiostrongylus cantonensis in snails

Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation was used to kill the larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in four groups of snails that were irradiated at a rate of 15.4 Gy/min for 16.23 min (0.25 kGy), 32.47 min (0.50 kGy), 48.70 min (0.75 kGy), and 64.94 min (1.00 kGy), respectively. Third-stage (infected stage) larvae were isolated from these snails and 50 were administered to each experimental animal via an esophageal tube. At a dosage of 0.25 kGy, the mean +/- SD number of worms recovered from 30 rats and 30 mice was 15.6 +/- 6.5 and 11.3 +/- 6.2, respectively. These were significantly different from the number of worms recovered from the nonirradiated (control) groups, which were 28.9 +/- 9.6 (P < 0.05) and 16.6 +/- 10.3 (P < 0.05) for rats and mice respectively. Worms and cellular infiltrations in lung tissue of rats were histopathologically identified in the 0.25-kGy-irradiated group as well as in the control group. Worms and eosinophilic meningitis were also noted in the brain tissue of mice in control groups. No worms or pathologic findings were observed in the heart, lung, or brain tissue of rats or mice infected with larvae irradiated at or exceeding 0.50 kGy. It is therefore concluded that a dosage of 0.50 kGy is sufficient to prevent successful infection in mice and rats.