Litomosoides carinii in jirds (Meriones unguiculatus): ability to retard development of challenge larvae can be transferred with cells and serum.

To test the ability of cells and/or serum from jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) infected with Litomosoides carinii to transfer the ability to retard development of challenge larvae, a series of transfer experiments were done. Groups of jirds received larval challenge preceded by one of eight preparations: spleen cells and/or serum from 10-day-patent infected jirds; normal spleen cells and/or normal serum; primary larvae; challenge larvae only. No significant differences in size or numbers of larvae recovered were found among groups receiving either cells or serum only. However, significant differences in larval size were found between groups receiving both cells and serum from infected donors and those receiving normal cells and serum. These comparisons indicate that the ability of infected jirds to retard development of challenge infection larvae can be transferred with cells and serum together but not separately.