Acanthocheilonema viteae: Vaccination with irradiated L3 induces resistance in three species of rodents (Meriones unguiculatus, Mastomys coucha, Mesocricetus auratus)

Abstract

Three species of rodents were immunized with 50 irradiated (35 krad) stage-3 larvae (L3) of the filaria Acanthocheilonema viteae and challenged with an infection of normal L3. The immunization induced a significant reduction of the worm burden developing from the challenge infection in all host species, the jird (Meriones unguiculatus), the multimammate rat (Mastomys coucha) and the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) The induced resistance was highest in jirds (92.5 ± 9.7) followed by golden hamsters (59.4 ± 26.6) and multimammate rats (55.1 ± 40.4). The time course of antibody response against antigens of L3, adult worms and microfilariae, as studied by ELISA, showed quantitative and qualitative differences between the species. The antibody response against L3 antigens in immunoblots was similar in all species. Only one of the golden hamsters developed an antibody response against the surface of vector derived L3, while sera of jirds and multimammate rats did not react with L3 surface.