Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Yangtze University Clinic Medical College, Jingzhou 434000, China.
Neurosci Bull. 2011 Apr;27(2):91-8. doi: 10.1007/s12264-011-1127-0.
The present study aimed to establish a cerebral schistosomiasis model in rabbits, to provide a valuable tool for morphological analysis, clinical manifestation observation, as well as investigations into immunological reactions and pathogenesis of focal inflammatory reaction in neuroschistosomiasis (NS).
Sixty New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned into operation, sham-operation and normal groups. Rabbits in the operation group received direct injection of dead schistosome eggs into the brain, while their counterparts in the sham-operation group received saline injection. Rabbits in the normal group received no treatment. Base on the clinical manifestations, rabbits were sacrificed on days 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 30 post injection, and brain samples were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Sections were observed under the microscope.
The rabbits in the operation group exhibited various neurological symptoms, including anorexy, partial and general seizures, and paralysis. The morphological analysis showed several schistosome eggs in the nervous tissue on day 3 post operation, with very mild inflammation. On days 7-10 post operation, several schistosome eggs were localized in proximity to red blood cells with many neutrophilic granulocytes and eosinophilic granulocytes around them. The schistosome eggs developed into the productive granuloma stage on days 14-20 post operation. On day 30, the schistosome eggs were found to be in the healing-by-fibrosis stage, and the granuloma area was replaced by fibrillary glia through astrocytosis. The sham-operation group and the normal group showed negative results.
This method might be used to establish the cerebral schistosomiasis experimental model. Several factors need to be considered in establishing this model, such as the antigenic property of eggs, the time of scarification, and the clinical manifestations.
本研究旨在建立兔脑血吸虫病模型，为形态学分析、临床症状观察以及神经血吸虫病（NS）中免疫反应和局灶性炎症反应发病机制的研究提供有价值的工具。
将 60 只新西兰兔随机分为手术组、假手术组和正常组。手术组直接将死血吸虫卵注入脑内，假手术组注入生理盐水。正常组不做任何处理。根据临床表现，在注射后第 3、5、7、10、20 和 30 天处死兔子，取脑标本行苏木精-伊红染色，显微镜下观察切片。
手术组兔子表现出多种神经症状，包括厌食、局部和全身抽搐以及瘫痪。形态学分析显示，术后第 3 天，神经组织中有几个血吸虫卵，炎症反应非常轻微。术后第 7-10 天，几个血吸虫卵位于靠近红细胞的地方，周围有许多中性粒细胞和嗜酸性粒细胞。术后第 14-20 天，血吸虫卵发育为产肉芽肿期。术后第 30 天，发现血吸虫卵处于纤维化愈合期，肉芽肿区域通过星形胶质细胞增生被纤维胶质取代。假手术组和正常组均呈阴性结果。
本方法可用于建立脑血吸虫病实验模型。在建立该模型时需要考虑多个因素，如卵的抗原性、刻痕时间和临床症状。
