Neonatal maternal deprivation promotes Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection in adult rats

Abstract

Neonatal stress is known to alter immune responses in adults and parasitic infection is modulated by the immune status of the host. The present study aimed to establish whether neonatal maternal deprivation affects the time course of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection and associated intestinal alterations in adult rats. Rat pups were separated from their dam 3 h daily during postnatal days 2–14, or left undisturbed. At 12 weeks of age, N. brasiliensis infection was induced by subcutaneous administration of 3000 L3 larvae. At 7 and 12 days after primary infection, the number of intestinal adult worms, fecal egg output, jejunal paracellular permeability, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were measured. On days 7 and 12 after a secondary infection, numbers of adult worms and egg production were determined. Maternal deprivation increased the number of jejunal adult worms and fecal eggs and larvae on day 7 after primary infection, and exacerbated the increase in jejunal MPO activity induced by the infection. On day 12, adult worms were only observed in deprived rats. N. brasiliensis infection did not potentiate the increase in jejunal paracellular permeability induced by maternal deprivation. After the second infection, no egg was detected in both control and deprived rats. In conclusion, maternal deprivation in rats facilitates primary infection by N. brasiliensis and enhances the inflammatory response of the jejunum, but does not induce severe breakdown of immunity to N. brasiliensis.