Assessment of intestinal mucosal damage as a cause of malabsorption in repeated experimental giardiasis

Histopathological and histochemical studies were carried out on the sections of small intestine of mice experimentally infected with Giardia lamblia to study the changes in the mucous membrane after repeated, treated and untreated infections and their role as a cause of malabsorption. There were definite histophathological changes and enzymatic changes in the form of decrease the activity of succinic dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase and increase the activity of acid phosphatase. These changes remained until the end of the experiment inspite of clearance of giardiasis. The study have a great effect on the secretory and absorptive function of the small intestine. They confirmed the role of repeated Giardia lamblia infections as a cause of malabsorption in some cases which may be present without an obvious cause

Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies of skeletal muscle in mice experimentally infected with schistosoma mansoni

Histopathological, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies were carried out on the skeletal muscles of mice experimentally infected with Schistosoma mansoni throughout 20 weeks post infection. Histopathological changes were detected from the 13th week post- infection in spite of absence of Schistosoma mansoni eggs. There were definite enzymatic changes dehydrogenase, non-specific esterase and acid and alkaline phosphatases. These changes started from the 14th week post-infection. S. mansoni immune complex deposits were detected in the muscles from the 9th week post infection. Positive correlation was found between the degree of immune complex deposition and histopathological and histochemical changes. The study confirmed the role of immune complex in the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle lesion in Schistosoma mansoni infection [schistosomal myopathy]