Histochemical characteristics of the goblet cell mucins and their role in defence mechanisms against Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection in the small intestine of mice.

The histochemical characteristics of the small intestinal goblet cell mucins of mice and their protective role during the expulsion of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis adult worms were examined. Lectin histochemistry revealed that, before infection, strongly positive stainability of Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) and Limax flavus agglutinin (LFA) was observed in all of the small intestinal goblet cell mucins of mice. When 'normal' or 'damaged' N. brasiliensis adult worms were implanted separately into the small intestine of euthymic mice, 50% of them were established in the intestine on day one after implantation, but were subsequently expelled within one week in association with HPA and LFA positive goblet cell hyperplasia. On the other hand, in dexamethasone treated euthymic mice, 70% of implanted 'normal' worms were expelled by day 7 and 80% of implanted 'damaged' worms were expelled by day 4 in association with HPA and LFA positive goblet cell mucins but no goblet cell hyperplasia. This is consistent with the fact that, in spite of no increase in goblet cell number in hypothymic nu/nu mice, all of the implanted 'damaged' worms were expelled within day 5 and 80% of implanted 'normal' worms were expelled by day 14 post implantation, possibly associated with strongly expressed terminal GalNAc and sialic acid residues of the small intestinal goblet cell mucins prior to infection.