• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2003

In the intestinal mucosa, mast cells are thought to be responsible for the expulsion of parasites. We investigated the relationship of worm expulsion and mast cells in C3H/HeN and BALB/c mice infected with Echinostoma hortense. In addition, we examined whether the worm recovery rate was associated with the strain of mice, and whether a toluidine stain and immunohistochemistry using the c-kit antibody was effective in the detection of mast cells. In order to investigate the mucosal immune response of C3H/HeN and BALB/c mice, each mouse was infected orally with 30 E. hortense metacercariae. Then, the number of mucosal mast cells and worm recovery rates was observed in experimentally infected mouse strains between 1 week and 8 weeks post infection (PI). Mucosal mast cells were increased in 3 weeks P.I. in C3H/HeN and BALB/c mice. On the other hand, only mucosal goblet cells and worm recovery rates correlated in C3H/HeN mice (P=0.0482). Worm recoveries in C3H/HeN mice were 65.7$\pm$5.6, 53.3$\pm$5.4 and 6.7$\pm$0.6 in week 1, 2, and 3 P.I. and strongly decreased in week 3 P.I. Worm recoveries in BALB/c mice were 23.0$\pm$2.5, 10.0$\pm$1.0, and 6.7$\pm$0.6% in week 1, 2, and 3 P.I. and gradually decreased from week 1 P.I. to week 3 P.I. Worm recoveries in C3H/HeN mice were significantly higher than in BALB/c mice (P<0.00l). The number of mast cells in C3H/HeN and BALB/c mice using the anti-c-kit antibody reached to a peak in week 3 P.I. and recovered as normal level in week 5 P.I. and 6 P.I. The number in E. hortense-infected C3H/HeN mice (P=0.0015) was higher than in E. hortense-infected BALB/c mice (P=0.01) compared with the control group. There were significant differences in the number of mast cells among regions of the intestine in in C3H/HeN mice (P<0.05) but not in BALB/c mice (P>0.05). Immunohistochemistry using the anti-c-kit antibody was significant method as an examination of the number of mast cells (P=0.0002). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that mast cells play an important role in worm recovery, and immunohistochemistry using the anti-c-kit antibody was superior to toluidine stain as an examination of mast cells.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.109-120
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• 1998

Mucosal mast cell (MMC) and goblet cell (GC) responses were observed in the small intestine of two strains of mice (BALBfc and C3H) infected with Weodiplostomum seouLehTe, and their roles in the host defense and worm expulsion were studied. From day 3 to 28 post-infection (Pl) with 200 metacercariae, the worm recovery rate from BALB/c mice was consistently and remarkably higher than that from C3H mice. In the duodenum of both strains of mice, the main habitat of the flukes, mastocytosis was pronounced on day 7 Pl but quickly diminished thereafter. Similar kinetics were observed in the jejunum and ileum, although the extent of mastocytosis was lesser in the ileum than other two areas. These MMC kinetics were not different between the ko strains of mice. Moreover, the extent of mastocytosis was stronger in BALB/C mice than in C3H mice. GC hyperplasia was remarkable in the duodenum of BALBlc mice throughout the course of infection except day 14 Pl, whereas it was recognizable only in the jejunum and ileum of C3H mice on day 7 Pl. Mucin activation was evidently demonstrated in both strains of mice throughout the course of infection, but more marked in BALB/c than in C3H mice. The results strongly suggest that mastocytosis and GC hyperplasia are local immune responses against N. seoulense, however, they play a minor role in the host defense and worm expulsion.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.259-266
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• 2005

Mast cells and goblet cells have been known to protect the host against parasites. In this study, we examined the response of the mast cells and goblet cells over a period of 6 weeks in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice infected with Echinostoma hortense (E. hortense). In addition, we investigated whether the worm recovery rate of uninfected mice (the control group) or E. hortense-infected mice (the experimental group) was associated with the number of mast cells and goblet cells. The worm recovery rate was higher in the C3H/HeN mice than in the C57BL/6 mice. The number of goblet cells significantly increased in the experimental group of the C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice compared with the control group of both strains (P<0.005). Worm recovery peaked 3 weeks after the infection of the C57BL/6 mice and at 2 weeks after the infection of the C3H/HeN mice, and it was higher in the duodenum than in the jejunum and ileum. However, the infected site in the intestine had no relation with worm expulsion. In the C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice, the number of goblet cells in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.005). The number reached a peak 2 weeks after the infection and it even increased in duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The increased number of goblet cells was retained 6 weeks after infection. The number of goblet cells was higher in the C3H/HeN mice than in the C57BL/6 mice (P<0.01). These results indicate that goblet cells are related with the worm expulsion. Furthermore, immunohistostaining of the antral intestinal walls for lectin showed the significant increase of the number of goblet cells in the experimental group (P<0.001). The high infection rate in the duodenum was found during the early infection. An increased infection rate in the jejunum and ileum was found 3 weeks after infection and the infection rate was higher in the C3H/HeN mice than in the C57BL/6 mice. Taken together, the present study indicates that goblet cells, rather than mast cells, may play critical roles in parasite expulsion.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.121-128
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• 2004

Mast cells and goblet cells have the ability to protect against parasites by increasing mucus production that traps and excludes worms and prevents their intimate contact with the gut mucosa in the host. In this study, we investigated the function of mast cells and goblet cells for the rejection of Echinostoma hortense (E. hortense). In addition, we used both C3H/HeN and BALB/c mice in order to examine whether mast cells and goblet cells function differentially according to the strains of mice. After an oral infection with 30 E. hortense metacercariae, the number of mucosal mast cells and goblet cells, as well as worm recovery rate, were observed in experimentally infected mice between 1 week and 8 weeks post-infection (PI). Worm recovery rates in C3H/HeN and BALB/c mice were 65.7％ and 23％, respectively, in week 1 P.I., indicating that worm expulsion in C3H/HeN mice was higher than in BALB/c mice. Our results demonstrate that the period (week 3 P.I.) in which worm recovery falls rapidly is the same period that the number of goblet cells and mast cells reaches a peak. These results indicate that worm recovery significantly correlates with the growth rate of goblet cells and mast cells (P=0.0482). However, worm expulsion is not associated with goblet cells or mast cells in BALB/c mice.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.219-230
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• 2004

This experiment was performed to examine the in vitro and in vivo affects of the two different haplotype strains of mice, BALB/c and C3H/HeN infected with Echinostoma hortense, and the manifestation of the profiles of cytokine in the splenocytes. In the in vitro experiment, the two mice's splenocytes were divided and stimulated with antigen of crude extracts and the antigen of excretory and secretory products of an adult warm and the manifestation of cytokine mRNA was verified with RT-PCR. As a result, the two different strains of mice both strongly manifested the Th2 cytokine rather than the Thl cytokine and in the case of the Th2 cytokine, the BALB/c mice manifested more strongly than the C3H/HeN mice. In the experiment using the ELISA method, the protem cytokine manifestation had the same result as the mRNA experiment. In the in vivo experiment, the mice was infected via oral route with the metacercaria of the Echinostoma hortense and the manifestation of cytokine was verified by RT-PCR and ELISA and the results were the same as the in vitro experiment. Therefore, in the two strains of BALB/c and C3H/HeN, the C3H/HeN showed a higher susceptivity to the Echinostoma hortense.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.222-226
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• 2003

Purpose: The interaction of the Fas: Fas ligand has been recognized to play an important role in radiation induced apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Fas and Fas ligand mutations, in radiation-induced apoptosis in vivo. Materials and Methods: Mice with a mutation in the Fas ($C57BL/6J-Fas^{lpr}$) and its normal control (C57BL/6J) and the Fas ligand ($C3H/HeJ-Fas^{gld}$) and its normal control (C3H/HeJ), were used in this study. Eight-week old male mice were given whole body radiation. After irradiation, the mice were killed at various time intervals, and their spleens collected. Tissue sample was stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and the numbers of apoptotic cells scored. The regulating molecules of apoptosis including the p53, Bcl-2, Bax, $Bcl-X_L\;and\;Bcl-X_s$ genes were also analyzed by Western blotting. Results: With 2.5 Gy and 10 Gy of irradiation, the levels of apoptosis were lower in the $C57BL/6J-Fas^{lpr}\;and\;C3H/HeJ-Fas^{gld}$ mice than in the control mice (p<0.05). With the expression of apoptosis regulating molecules, the Bax was increased in both the C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice in response to radiation; the peak levels of Bax in the C57BL6J and C3H/HeJ were 3 and 3.3-fold higher after 8hr, respectively. However the Bax was not increased in either the $C57BL/6J-Fas^{lpr}\;or\;C3H/HeJ-Fas^{gld}$mice. The p53, Bcl-X_L,\;Bcl-X_S$and Bcl-2 showed no significant changes in the $C57BL/6J-Fas^{lpr},\;C3H/HeJ-Fas^{gld}$, C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ mice. Conclusion: The levels of radiation-induced apoptosis were lower in the lpr and gld, than the control mice, which seemed to be related to the level of Bax activation due to the radiation in the lpr and gld mice. This result suggests that Fas/Fas L plays an important role in radiation-induced apoptosis in vivo.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.51-56
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• 2004

Susceptibilities of 5 different mice strains, including C3H/HeN, BALB/c, C57BL6, FvB and ICR, to Echinostoma hortense infection, was evaluated. The worm expulsion rate, worm size and egg production were observed from 1 to 8 weeks after infection with 30 metacercariae. C3H/HeN and ICR mice showed the highest worm maturation rates. The worm recovery rate and the number of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces was also higher in C3H/HeN and ICR mice than in BALB/c, C57BL6, and FvB mice. It is suggested that E. hortense is highly infectious to ICR and C3H/HeN mice, but not to the other strains of mice. Based on the results obtained, we believe that the susceptibility of different mouse strains to E. hortense infection is dependent on the genetic and immunologic back-ground of mice.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.401-406
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• 2001

These studies were carried out to survey the genetic contamination of six inbred mice (A, BALB/c, C3H, C57BL/6, CBA and KK) produced and supplied from the conventional breeding unit for improving the quality of mice as experimental animal. We examined alleles of five loci (Akp-1, Car-2, Hbb, Es-1 and Trf) by the use of biochemical markers with celluose acetate electrophoresis. As the results of test, BALB/c, A, C3H, C57BL/6, CBA and KK showed standard alleles in Akp-1, Car-2 and Hbb. But Es-1 of A and C57BL/6 and Trf of A, C3H, C57BL/6 and CBA did allelic divergence in loci. These results suggest that the colonies of A, C3H, C57BL/6 and CBA were genetically contaminated. Therefore, we recommend to eliminate the genetically contaminated mice thoroughly, to check on genetic monitoring regularly and to consider a counterpaln for improving the quality control as soon as possible.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2003

The hair cycle consists of three phases, growth (anagen), involution (catagen) and quiescence (telogen) phases. In order to evaluate hair re-growth effect of herbal extracts mixture containing the 70％ ethanol extracts of Polygoni Multiflori Radix, Mori Cortex Radicis, Gingko Biloba Folium and Pine bud, we have examined the induction of the anagen phase and/or elongation of the anagen period using C3H mice. Morphological examination was done by Hattori' and Ogawa's method. Enzyme activities of ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (${\gamma}$-GT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was detected by Bessey-Lovry-Brock's method. Enzyme activity as a biochemical marker of hair cycle was investigated in the third hair cycle period of C3H mice after depilation. 3％ Minoxidil treated group and herbal extract mixture treated group were shown 3 days earlier initiation of anagen than control group. In cycling mouse skin, ${\gamma}$-GT activity is pronounced during anagen and greatly diminished during telogen. Herbal extract mixture has shown promising hair re-growth effect on hair follicular cycles of C3H mice.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Embryo Transfer Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.85-85
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• 2002

Pregnancy block by male pheromones in mice differs in incidence depending on the combination of strains. Female mice of BALB/cA strain mated with BALB/cA males show a 100% pregnancy block when exposed to males of inbred strain DDK shortly after copulation (Chung et al., Biol Reprod 1997). In the present study, BALB/cA females mated with the males of other strains (CBA/J, C3H/HeN, C57BL/6Cr, and IXBL) showed higher pregnancy rates (66.6-87.5%) even when they were exposed to DDK males. In the pharmacological induction of pregnancy block with dopamine agonist (Bromocriptine, 4mg/kg BW), BALB/cA females mated with BALB/cA males showed a 100% pregnancy block. In contrast, BALB/cA females mated with CBA/J, C3H/HeN, and C57BL/6Cr males showed higher pregnancy rates (40-70%). These results suggest that the better pregnancy rate of BALB/cA females mated with alien males may be due to the stronger viability of F 1 embryos. This interpretation was confirmed by an embryo transfer experiment in which a higher implantation rate was observed when BALB/cA embryos grown in BALB/cA females exposed to BALB/cA males were transferred into recipient BALB/cA females exposed to DDK males. These results suggest that the embryonic genotype or viability of the embryo is one factor contributing to the occurrence of pregnancy block by male pheromones in mice.