Influence of the genetic pattern and sex of mice in experimental lagochilascariosis

We studied experimental lagochilascariosis in male and female mice of four strains. The survival ratio and number of larvae recovered varied: B10.A and C57BL/6 mice had the highest number of larvae 90 days after infection and the lowest survival ratio at 345 days of infection. BALB/c mice had an intermediate survival ratio and number of larvae. A/J mice had the lowest number of larvae and the highest survival ratio. Our findings suggest that resistance to Lagochilascaris minor is not linked to the H-2a region because both susceptible B10.A and resistant A/J mice express the H-2a haplotype. However, the pattern of mortality and larvae recovered that we observed in C57BL/6 mice, which possess the same genetic background as B10.A, indicates that the background genotype does affect the outcome of lagochilascariosis in mice. This study demonstrates that the genetic background, but not H-2a or sex, determine the outcome of lagochilascariosis in mice.