Dose related mucosal hyperplasia induced by Oesophagostomum dentatum infection in pigs

The present work was undertaken to examine the effects of 3 different population densities of Oesophagostomum dentatum upon the development of worm induced mucosal changes in the colon following single infections. Groups of pigs were infected with single doses of 2000 (low dose), 20,000 (medium dose) or 200,000 (high dose) infective larvae, respectively. A total of 18 infected pigs (6 from each group) were examined for histopathological changes together with 3 helminth-free control pigs. There was a dose related difference in the intensity of colonic lesions; and using morphometry it was observed that the mucosal crypts of pigs in the high dose group were significantly longer than those in the 2 other groups. These differences disappeared by day 25 after infection despite the presence of larvae in the mucosa of the high dose group. This phenomenon may be related to inflammatory reactions in the colon, possibly in connection with the initiation of an immunological response in sites distant from the parasite larvae.