Hallal-Calleros Claudia, Dominguez-Roldan Rosa, Dunstand-Guzmán Emmanuel, Pérez-Martínez Mario, Ramirez Aquino Ruben, Flores-Pérez Fernando Iván
Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad para el Bienestar Benito Juárez García, Moyotepec, Ayala, Mexico.
Acta Parasitol. 2025 Sep 9;70(5):195. doi: 10.1007/s11686-025-01134-8.
Taenia pisiformis cysticerci have been reported in the female reproductive tract of rabbits, and this parasitosis is known to alter reproductive behavior and reduce embryo implantation; however, tissue-based studies relating the immune system to the implantation site during infection have not been previously addressed. Therefore, our research provides new information on the interaction between pregnancy and parasitic infection.
This study evaluated the recruitment of immune cells in uterine tissue during T. pisiformis infection. Fourteen female rabbits were experimentally infected with 1,000 T. pisiformis eggs and mated with a male on day 50 post-infection. Eight days after mating-corresponding to the mesometrial stage of implantation- tissue samples were collected from the middle third of the right uterine horn at the site of embryonic implantation, following the sampling rationale described in previous literature. Samples were fixed and processed using paraffin-embedding techniques, and histological sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Three sections per rabbit were analyzed across 18 fields per group, each field measuring 2,960 μm². Mucosal height was measured, and lymphocytes and macrophages were quantified in the mucosa based on morphological criteria.
The results showed a significant increase in lymphocyte and macrophage infiltration at the implantation sites of infected does compared to controls (p < 0.05), along with a 49% increase in mucosal height. No cysticerci were found in the uterine tissue, but metacestodes were observed in the pelvic region in 33% of infected animals, with a mean of 3.1 ± 2.6 cysticerci per animal.
These findings suggest an increased immune cell infiltration and marked uterine mucosal remodeling in infected does, potentially interfering with embryo establishment and development. We acknowledge that hormonal and cytokine measurements were not performed in this study; therefore, future research should address these parameters to clarify the underlying mechanisms.
兔豆状带绦虫囊尾蚴已在兔的雌性生殖道中被报道，已知这种寄生虫病会改变生殖行为并减少胚胎着床；然而，此前尚未有基于组织的研究探讨感染期间免疫系统与着床部位之间的关系。因此，我们的研究提供了关于妊娠与寄生虫感染之间相互作用的新信息。
本研究评估了豆状带绦虫感染期间子宫组织中免疫细胞的募集情况。14只雌性兔经实验感染1000个豆状带绦虫卵，并在感染后第50天与雄性兔交配。交配8天后（对应于植入的子宫系膜期），按照先前文献中描述的采样原理，从右子宫角中部三分之一处胚胎着床部位采集组织样本。样本经固定后采用石蜡包埋技术处理，组织切片用苏木精和伊红染色。每组对每只兔的3个切片在18个视野中进行分析，每个视野面积为2960μm²。测量黏膜高度，并根据形态学标准对黏膜中的淋巴细胞和巨噬细胞进行定量。
结果显示，与对照组相比，感染母兔着床部位的淋巴细胞和巨噬细胞浸润显著增加（p < 0.05），黏膜高度增加了49%。子宫组织中未发现囊尾蚴，但在33%的感染动物盆腔区域观察到了幼虫，每只动物平均有3.1±2.6个囊尾蚴。
这些发现表明，感染母兔的免疫细胞浸润增加，子宫黏膜发生明显重塑，这可能会干扰胚胎的着床和发育。我们承认本研究未进行激素和细胞因子测量；因此，未来的研究应探讨这些参数以阐明潜在机制。
