Comparison of the inflammatory responses of mice infected with American and Australian Trichinella pseudospiralis or Trichinella spiralis

This study was designed to determine if the Tasmanian devil isolate of Trichinella pseudospiralis suppressed inflammation as does the original isolate. While adult worm numbers were similar in all groups, lower enteritis occurred in devil isolate-infected mice compared with mice infected with the original isolate of T. pseudospiralis or with Trichinella spiralis. Diaphragm muscle inflammation was greater in T. spiralis-infected than in mice infected with either isolate of T. pseudospiralis or concurrently infected with T. spiralis and either of the isolates of T. pseudospiralis. Granuloma inflammation was lower in mice infected with either isolate of T. pseudospiralis compared with uninfected or T. spiralis-infected mice. The devil isolate down-regulated inflammation more profoundly during the intestinal phase than the muscle phase compared to the original isolate, differences which may be related to the biology of their natural hosts.