DIFFERENCES IN EOSINOPHIL MIGRATION INTO THE LUNGS FOLLOWING INHALED ANTIGEN CHALLENGE OF PARASITE-NAIVE GUINEA-PIGS WITH GENETICALLY-DETERMINED DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSIVENESS TO A GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODE PARASITE

Parasite-naive guinea pigs with genetically determined differences in responsiveness to infection with the gastrointestinal nematode parasit e Trichostrongylus colubriformis were sensitised to ovalbumin and late r challenged by exposure to an ovalbumin aerosol. The resultant cellul ar migration into the lungs was assessed by histological examination o f the lungs and enumeration of cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid 2 4 h, 72 h and 7 days later. Compared with parasite-low-responder guine a pigs, there were approximately 10 times more eosinophils in lavage f luid from parasite-high-responder animals but similar numbers of neutr ophils.