Eosinophil chemoattracted by eotaxin from cerebrospinal fluid of mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis assayed in a microchamber

When non-permissive hosts are infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the migration of the worms to the brain and their subsequent development manifests as marked eosinophilic pleocytosis. We used microchambers to demonstrate direct eosinophil chemotactic activity by adding a variety of antibodies into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of BALB/c mice 21 days post-infection with A. cantonensis. The antibodies were directed to neutralize eotaxin, RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cells expressed and secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, and platelet-activating factor (PAF), respectively. Eosinophil migration into the polycarbonate membrane covering CSF with anti-eotaxin or anti-MIP-1alpha antibodies was significantly lower than that for antibody-free CSF (Student's t test: p < 0.01, p < 0.05). We also collected CSF from mice 21 days after infection with 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 third-stage larvae (L3) respectively for dose-dependent testing, and 40 L3 at days 7, 14, and 21 after infection for time-dependent testing. Chemokine production in CSF was affected by A. cantonensis infection intensity and post-infection time. In conclusion, eotaxin and MIP-1alpha released in the CSF of A. cantonensis-infected mice have eosinophil chemotactic activity in this in vitro assay.