The effect of cortisone on the worm burdens of calves infected daily with Ostertagia ostertagi.

Abstract

Of two groups of calves, one was regularly treated with the cortisone-derivative, β-methazone. This treatment greatly reduced the ability of the calves to produce antibody and gave rise to a number of side effects. Calves of both groups were given 1500 infective larvae ofOstertagia ostertagidaily. A milder régime of cortisone administrations using prednisolone was employed in a second experiment in which two comparisons were made. Worm burdens of calves infected with 1500 larvae daily and receiving cortisone were compared with those of control calves infected at the same rate and cortisone-treated calves receiving 1500 larvae per day were compared with cortisone-treated calves infected at twice this rate.By periodicpost-mortemexamination it was shown that even in cortisone-treated animals the worm burden was regulated at a level only slightly higher than in control calves, apparently by a density-dependant loss of worms. A more rapid loss of worms which occurred for a period in the control calves was prevented in cortisone-treated animals unless the infection rate was high.The limit set by the normal host to the total egg output of its worm population was raised by cortisone treatment, very greatly in the first experiment, rather less in the second in which the cortisone treatment was less severe. The effect of host resistance on the length of worms and on the incidence of females without vulval flaps was greatly reduced by cortisone. The inhibition of development was not affected.