Dataset Information

Supplemented nutrition decreases helminth burden and increases drug efficacy in a natural host-helminth system.

ABSTRACT: Gastrointestinal (GI) helminths are common parasites of humans, wildlife, and livestock, causing chronic infections. In humans and wildlife, poor nutrition or limited resources can compromise an individual's immune response, predisposing them to higher helminth burdens. This relationship has been tested in laboratory models by investigating infection outcomes following reductions of specific nutrients. However, much less is known about how diet supplementation can impact susceptibility to infection, acquisition of immunity, and drug efficacy in natural host-helminth systems. We experimentally supplemented the diet of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) with high-quality nutrition and measured resistance to the common GI nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. To test whether diet can enhance immunity to reinfection, we also administered anthelmintic treatment in both natural and captive populations. Supplemented wood mice were more resistant to H. polygyrus infection, cleared worms more efficiently after treatment, avoided a post-treatment infection rebound, produced stronger general and parasite-specific antibody responses, and maintained better body condition. In addition, when applied in conjunction with anthelmintic treatment, supplemented nutrition significantly reduced H. polygyrus transmission potential. These results show the rapid and extensive benefits of a well-balanced diet and have important implications for both disease control and wildlife health under changing environmental conditions.

SUBMITTER: Sweeny AR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7893286 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Supplemented nutrition decreases helminth burden and increases drug efficacy in a natural host-helminth system.

Sweeny Amy R AR Clerc Melanie M Pontifes Paulina A PA Venkatesan Saudamini S Babayan Simon A SA Pedersen Amy B AB

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20210120 1943

Gastrointestinal (GI) helminths are common parasites of humans, wildlife, and livestock, causing chronic infections. In humans and wildlife, poor nutrition or limited resources can compromise an individual's immune response, predisposing them to higher helminth burdens. This relationship has been tested in laboratory models by investigating infection outcomes following reductions of specific nutrients. However, much less is known about how diet supplementation can impact susceptibility to infect ...[more]

PMID: 33468010

Similar Datasets

Project description:Stress-induced changes in viral receptor and susceptibility gene expression were measured in embryonic stem cells (ESC) and differentiated progeny. Rex1 promoter-Red Fluorescence Protein reporter ESC were tested by RNAseq after 72hr exposures to control stress hyperosmotic sorbitol under stemness culture (NS) to quantify stress-forced differentiation (SFD) transcriptomic programs. Control ESC cultured with stemness factor removal produced normal differentiation (ND). Bulk RNAseq transcriptomic analysis showed significant upregulation of two genes involved in Covid-19 cell uptake, Vimentin (VIM) and Transmembrane Serine Protease 2 (TMPRSS2). SFD increased the hepatitis A virus receptor (Havcr1) and the transplacental Herpes simplex 1 (HSV1) virus receptor (Pvrl1) compared with ESC undergoing ND. Several other coronavirus receptors, Glutamyl Aminopeptidase (ENPEP) and Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 (DPP4) were upregulated significantly in SFD>ND. Although stressed ESC are more susceptible to infection due to increased expression of viral receptors and decreased resistance, the necessary Covid-19 receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)2, was not expressed in our experiments. TMPRSS2, ENPEP, and DPP4 mediate Coronavirus uptake, but are also markers of extra-embryonic endoderm (XEN), which arise from ESC undergoing ND or SFD. Mouse and human ESCs differentiated to XEN increase TMPRSS2 and other Covid-19 uptake-mediating gene expression, but only some lines express ACE2. Covid-19 susceptibility appears to be genotype-specific and not ubiquitous. Of the 30 gene ontology (GO) groups for viral susceptibility, 15 underwent significant stress-forced changes. Of these, 4 GO groups mediated negative viral regulation and most genes in these increase in ND and decrease with SFD, thus suggesting that stress increases ESC viral susceptibility. Taken together, the data suggest that a control hyperosmotic stress can increase Covid-19 susceptibility and decrease viral host resistance in mouse ESC. However, this limited pilot study should be followed with studies in human ESC, tests of environmental, hormonal, and pharmaceutical stressors and direct tests for infection of stressed, cultured ESC and embryos by Covid-19.

Dataset Information

Supplemented nutrition decreases helminth burden and increases drug efficacy in a natural host-helminth system.

Publications

Supplemented nutrition decreases helminth burden and increases drug efficacy in a natural host-helminth system.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets