The crucial role of granulocytes in the early host defense against Strongyloides ratti infection in mice

The involvement of granulocytes in the host early defense against the nematode, Strongyloides ratti, was studied. It was confirmed that granulocytes were effectively depleted for 4 days by anti-granulocyte monoclonal antibody (anti-Gr-l). To examine the involvement of granulocytes in the host defense against migrating larvae, 2000 S. ratti infective larvae (L3) were inoculated subcutaneously 1 day after antibody treatment. The number of S. ratti eggs secreted in feces (EPG) was higher in the granulocyte-depleted group than in the control group. The number of migrating larvae also increased in the granulocyte-depleted group in accordance with the increase in EPG. Therefore granulocytes are crucial for the host early defense against migrating larvae of S. ratti. Next, the involvement of granulocytes in the intestinal early defense was examined. Mice were treated with the antibody on day 3 post-infection. On that day, almost all inoculated larvae reached the intestine and molted to become adults. EPG on day 5 post-infection was increased by the antibody treatment, but no effect was observed on intestinal worm numbers. The fecundity (EPG/worm number) of S. ratti adult worms in the granulocyte-depleted group was higher than that in the control group. Thus granulocytes are also involved in the intestinal early defense through suppressing fecundity of the adult worms. On the other hand, the depletion of granulocytes had no effect on the late adaptive response against S. ratti adult worms (e.g. number of intestinal mucosal mast cells, time of worm expulsion). These results suggest that granulocytes are mainly involved in the host early defense against parasites.