Jh. Tarish et Rb. Atwell, THE EFFECT OF PROSTAGLANDIN INHIBITION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PULMONARY PATHOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH DEAD DIROFILARIA-IMMITIS, Veterinary parasitology, 49(2-4), 1993, pp. 207-217
Flunixin meglumine was used to examine the effect of prostaglandin inh
ibition on the pathogenesis of Dirofilaria immitis in the pulmonary ar
teries of dogs. Immunopathological reactions to dead filariae were mon
itored by light and transmission electron microscopy and serology. Lun
g lesions in prostaglandin-inhibited dogs exposed to dead filariae wer
e enhanced compared to control dogs. This was associated with the pers
istence of parasitic antigen in lung tissue and in the blood. Serology
demonstrated that after insertion of D. immitis in treated dogs, anti
body levels did not change, while immune complex and antigen levels in
creased. These results indicate that prostaglandin may have a protecti
ve effect on the way the lung reacts to dead D. immitis, and that alte
red dynamics of the antigen processing may well contribute to the asso
ciated lung lesions.