In vitro stress response to elevated temperature, hydrogen peroxide and mebendazole in Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae

Three stimuli, elevated temperature, hydrogen peroxide and mebendazole, wer e compared for their ability to induce heat-shock responses in Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae (L1). In vitro effectiveness of each 'stressor' was evaluated by viability score, protein content and levels of hsp90, hsp70 an d hsp60. Detection of the respective heat-shock proteins was done by Wester n blotting and the heat-shock proteins and quantitation of the immunoblots by image analysis. Exposure of L1 to elevated temperature (e.g. 45 degrees C, 2 h) had no measurable effect. However, exposure to hydrogen peroxide re sulted in the induction of constitutive and higher mol. wt heat-shock prote ins. In these experiments, heat-shock protein induction correlated strongly with other damage parameters, including loss of viability and increased mo rtality. Larvae stored in the presence of mebendazole showed no signs of da mage. These data indicate that when L1 suffer damage through the action of stimuli, enhancement of heat-shock protein production and damage suffered a re causally related. (C) 1999 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Publ ished by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.