Effect of oral zinc supplementation upon Taenia crassiceps murine cysticercosis

The effect of zinc supplementation on Taenia crassiceps murine cysticercosi s was studied in susceptible BALB/ cAnN mice. Female offspring of mice supp lemented with high zinc throughout gestation and lactation were intraperito neally infected with T. crassiceps cysticerci. Offspring from nonsupplement ed mothers were used as controls. Significantly fewer parasites were recove red from zinc-supplemented mice (Zsm) 30 days after infection. Increased re sistance was not related to the IgG antibody response. At early stages of i nfection, T cells from Zsm proliferated to T. crassiceps antigens, whereas cells from control mice did not respond. Infection caused in both groups a decrease in CD3+ cell percentages, which was more pronounced in the control s, and paralleled by a decrease in CD8+ cells; CD3+ and CD8+ percentages re turned to normal levels at later stages of infection. In contrast, the CD4 subpopulation only decreased in control mice. Intracellular cytokine de te rminations indicate that zinc supplementation favored a stronger and persis tent type-1 T cell response in cysticerci-infected mice, which probably par ticipates in the observed increased resistance.