Hymenolepis microstoma: Histopathological Changes in Mice Maintained at Different Environmental Temperatures

Abstract

Livers of uninfected mice maintained at 5 C did not differ histologically from mice kept at 21 C, but the hepatocytes of mice kept at 35 C were depleted of glycogen. Regardless of temperature, infection with a single Hymenolepis microstoma induced inflammatory changes in the livers of all mice. However, the degree of histopathology was less in mice kept at 21 C than in mice at 5 C or 35 C. Infected mice in the hot and cold environments developed necrotic lesions in their liver parenchyma. Livers of mice kept at 35 C contained many foreign body giant cells. Temperature had no histological effect on the common bile duct, but in all infected mice there was a pronounced thickening of the bile duct wall due to intensive infiltration of the submucosa with fibrous connective elements and inflammatory leucocytes.