Modification of the Lung Recovery Assay for Schistosomula and Correlations with Worm Burdens in Mice Infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Abstract

The kinetics of recovery of schistosomula from the lungs of previously-unexposed CF1 mice were studied following infection with S. mansoni cercariae. Lung tissue fragments were incubated from 3-48 h and the completeness of recovery of viable schistosomula was determined. The recovery of schistosomula from the lungs correlated closely with 7 wk worm recoveries. With the additional incubation described, the lung recovery assay may provide a more defined indicator of protective immunity. Based on the data generated by these analyses, it is predicted that under these conditions schistosomula arrive in the lungs from 3-7 days after infection, and that they sojourn there for a 3 day period.