Summary
Neonatally thymectomized COBS albino rats (Charles River) were infected with the pathogenic intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite Plasmodium berghei, or the nonpathogenic extracellular protozoan Trypanosoma lewisi or a pathogenic protozoan having both intra- and extracellular forms, Trypanosoma cruzi. Neonatally thymectomized, sham-operated, and unoperated control rats were challenged with 1.0×106 P. berghei infected erythrocytes at 6, 8 or 12 weeks of age and parasitemia, anemia and mortality were studied. Others were infected with 1.0×106 T. lewisi at 8 weeks of age or 2.0×105 trypomastigotes of T. cruzi at 5–6 weeks of age and parasitemia was investigated. Each age group of neonatally thymectomized rats infected with P. berghei developed significantly higher parasitemias, more severe anemias, and in younger rats, higher mortalities than sham-operated or unoperated controls. Significant differences were observed in the mean parasitemia of neonatally thymectomized and sham-operated or unoperated control rats challenged with T. cruzi. Significant differences were not observed in neonatally thymectomized and sham-operated or unoperated controls challenged with T. lewisi. These observations suggest that in the rat, thymus dependent immune reactions may play a role in acquired immunity to the intracellular blood parasite, P. berghei and to T. cruzi which has an intra- and extracellular stage, but probably does not have a significant role in acquired immunity to the extracellular blood protozoan parasite, T. lewisi.
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Hanson, W.L., Chapman, W.L. Comparison of the effects of neonatal thymectomy on Plasmodium berghei, Trypanosoma lewisi and Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the albino rat. Z. F. Parasitenkunde 44, 227–238 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328764
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328764