GOBLET CELL HYPERPLASIA INDUCED BY STRONGYLOIDES VENEZUELENSIS-INFECTION IN SYRIAN GOLDEN-HAMSTER, MESOCRICETUS-AURATUS

The goblet cell response was examined in the jejunum of the Syrian gol den hamster, Mesocricetus auratus, following infection with an intesti nal helminth, Strongyloides venzuelensis. After subcutaneous inoculati on with 3000 infective larvae (L(3)), the number of adult worms in the small intestine remained stable up to day 20 and then decreased. Befo re infection, the number of goblet cells in the jejunum was about 70/1 0 villi. The number of goblet cells slowly increased, though not signi ficantly, until day 20 post-infection, and then rapidly increased with an inverse relationship to the worm burden, By day 43, when adult wor ms were almost completely expelled, the number of goblet cells was abo ut 3-fold higher than that of control animals. Similar vigorous goblet cell hyperplasia has not been reported in Strongyloides spp. infectio n in other experimental animals. Histochemical study revealed that gob let cells in the jejunum of Syrian golden hamsters, unlike those of ot her experimental animals, produced and released highly sulfated mucins .