| Brugia pahangi infections in young, male gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) were established by surgical transfer of three, six, or 12 inseminated, adult, female worms into the peritoneal cavity. Increasing the number of worms in the infecting dose results in an increase in the number of microfilariae (mf) recovered from the body cavity. There is a highly significant difference between the mean number of mf of all three groups as determined by two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA). The slopes of the regression lines calculated for each group increase as the number of females increase, however, the difference is not significant. Neither the presence of virgin, adult female worms nor prior inoculation with 100,000 live mf has a significant bearing on the numbers of mf recovered.;Host cells are often present on the surface of adult worms recovered from the peritoneal cavity. These cells include macrophages and granulocytic leukocytes. Fibroblasts and bundles of collagen fibrils frequently form an outer layer of connective tissue sometimes surrounded by mesothelium. Macrophages, eosinophils, and neutrophils are also occasionally observed on the surface of mf.;Total serum immunoglobulins in infected gerbils rise over pre-immune levels at two weeks post infection, and remain elevated throughout the experimental period. There is little or no immunoglobulin in the sera specific for the mf surface or for the excretory-secretory products. No correlation, either direct or inverse, was noted between the numbers of mf recovered, total serum gamma globulins, or specific anti-mf antibodies. |
