THE EFFECT OF DIETARY-PROTEIN ON TRICHINELLA-SPIRALIS INFECTION AND INFLAMMATORY REACTIONS IN THE TONGUE IN CD1 MICE

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of changes of hos t dietary protein concentrationon the propagation and expulsion of adu lt worms of Trichinella spiralis by mice and the larva-induced inflamm atory response in tongue muscle. Five week old CD1 female mice were fe d low (4%) or normal (26%) protein diets respectively for six weeks an d infected with 200 larvae of T. spiralis. The low (4%) protein diet e xerted a significant weight loss in infected mice in that dietary grou p compared to mice fed the 26% protein diet and infected. The (4%) pro tein deficient diet diminished the expulsion of T. spiralis from the i ntestinal tract. Counts of adults worms on Days 10, 14, post-infection (PI) and of larvae on Day 35 PI of mice fed the (4%) protein diet wer e significantly increased compred to counts in mice on the normal (26% ) protein diet. The severity of the inflammatory response to T. spiral is larvae was proportional in tongue muscle to the adequacy of dietary protein. The low (4%) protein diet induced leucopenia, with the suppr ession of peripheral and tissue eosinophilia and its related allergic response. The low (4%) protein diet also delayed, and weakened the inf lammatory response to the invading prasites compared to the normal (25 %) protein diet.