• Main Authors: Vitor Luís Tenório Mati, Hudson Alves Pinto, Alan Lane de Melo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2013-04-01
• Series: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Subjects: Foodborne intestinal flukes; Trematodes; Experimental models; Heterophyids
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0036-46652013000200133&lng=en&tlng=en

In order to better understand the biology of Centrocestus formosanus in a definitive host model, mice of Swiss and AKR/J strains were experimentally infected with 100 metacercariae of the parasite. Fourteen days post-infection, the rodents were killed and adult trematodes were recovered from the small intestine. The percentage of parasite recovery from AKR/J mice (11.4%) was significantly higher than that from Swiss mice (5.3%). Moreover, trematodes recovered from the AKR/J strain were more developed and had greater fecundity. Peculiarities concerning the mices immune system could explain the difference in susceptibility and in worm development seen in the present study. The data obtained confirm that mice are susceptible to infection with C. formosanus and indicate that the AKR/J strain provides a more favorable environment for parasite development.