INDUCTION OF CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID EOSINOPHILIA IN RATS BY THE INTRAVENTRICULAR-INJECTION OF ANGIOSTRONGYLUS-CANTONENSIS ANTIGEN

Resistance to Angiostrongylus cantonensis is contingent upon the gener ation of an eosinophilic response in the CSF of infected hosts. We hav e studied the parameters required for the generation of this CSF eosin ophilia in normally permissive rats. We initially induced a marked per ipheral eosinophilia in rats by infection with either Mesocestoides co rti or Angiostrongylus cantonensis or the surgical transfer of A. cant onensis young adult Norms (YA) into their pulmonary arteries. Next, we injected various antigens into the ventricles of these rats. A. canto nensis-preinfected rats demonstrated significant CSF eosinophilia foll owing injection of A. cantonensis egg antigen, 1st-stage larval (L(1)) antigen, or M. corti antigen, but not following YA antigen inoculatio n. A. cantonensis egg and M. corti antigens were potent chemoattractan ts for eosinophils in an in vitro chemotaxis assay. These data indicat e that peripheral eosinophilia, meningeal stimulation by A. cantonensi s infection and the presence of potent chemoattractants, e.g., egg and L, antigens are prerequisites for CSF eosinophil accumulation in perm issive rat hosts. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.