GOBLET CELL MUCINS OF 4 GENERA OF THE SUBFAMILY CRICETINAE WITH REFERENCE TO THE PROTECTIVE ACTIVITY AGAINST STRONGYLOIDES-VENEZUELENSIS

Goblet and mast cell responses in the jejunum of four genera, Mesocric etus auratus (Syrian hamster), Phodopus campbelli, Cricetulus griseus (Chinese hamster), and Tscherskia triton, belonging to the subfamily C ricetinae, were examined after infection with Strongyloides venezuelen sis. Parasite eggs became detectable in faeces of all four genera on D ay 7. Faecal egg count peaked around Day 8 in C. griseus and T. triton and around Day 14 in M. auratus and P. campbelli. In M. auratus and P . campbelli, faecal egg production persisted over 40 days, whereas tha t in C. griseus and T. triton rapidly terminated within 14 days. In al l four genera examined, goblet cell hyperplasia and mastocytosis were observed at the time of expulsion of S. venezuelensis. However, in the comparative study of all four genera, neither the degree of goblet or mast cell hyperplasia nor the phenotype of mast cells correlated to t he rapidity of the expulsion of S. venezuelensis. On the other hand, t he rapidity of expulsion closely correlated with the degree of sulphat ion of goblet cell mucins because two genera, C. griseus and T. triton , having highly sulphated goblet cell mucins showed faster expulsion o f S. venezuelensis than the other two genera, P. campbelli and M. aura tus, having less sulphated mucins. These results suggest that physicoc hemical nature of mucins is critical for the expulsion of S. venezuele nsis from the subfamily Cricetinae.