In vitro hatched oncospheres of Asian Taenia from Korea and Taiwan develop into cysticerci in the peritoneal cavity of female scid (severe combined immunodeficiency) mice

Abstract

In vitro hatched (but not activated) oncospheres of Asian Taenia obtained in Korea and Taiwan, prepared by the sodium hypochlorite method, rinsed with sterile PBS several times and adjusted to 5 × 10 4/0.5 ml PBS, were injected intraperitoneally or subcutaneously into male or female scid mice of 3 different strains. When these scid mice were sacrificed 4 months later, the females harboured fully developed cysticerci either in the peritoneal cavity or under the back skin, whereas males did not. All cysticerci from the peritoneal cavity were easily recovered by rinsing the abdomen with PBS. Although most cysticerci recovered from pig liver usually become calcified within 1–2 months, in female scid mice they all increased in size and were viable. Intrapertioneal (i.p.) injection of in vitro hatched oncospheres is recommended for easier recovery of Asian Taenia metacestodes in laboratory animals.