Reconstitution by bone marrow grafting of the defective protective capacity at the migratory phase but not at the intestinal phase of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection in W/Wv mice.

After a primary infection by subcutaneous inoculation with the infective larvae (L3) of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, the intestinal worm burden was higher and expulsion was slower in W/Wv mice than in +/+ mice. When the course of infection was segregated into the migratory and intestinal phases, protection during the migratory phase examined by the larval recovery from the lungs and that during the intestinal phase measured by worm burden after intraduodenal implantation with adult worms were both defective in W/Wv mice. The higher susceptibility of W/Wv mice during the migratory phase was normalized by bone marrow reconstitution. On the other hand, higher susceptibility of W/Wv mice during the intestinal phase, which was measured by worm burden 24 h after intraduodenal implantation of the larvae recovered from the lungs of rats, was not normalized by bone marrow grafting. Furthermore, slower expulsion seen in W/Wv mice after intraduodenal implantation with adult worms was not hastened by bone marrow reconstitution. These results indicate that the protective mechanisms against N. brasiliensis operating during the migratory phase and those during the intestinal phase were different in terms of bone marrow dependency and that non-myeloid cells utilizing c-kit ligand/receptor system to express their functions are involved in the mucosal defence against N. brasiliensis.