Suppression by Trypanosoma brucei of anaphylaxis-mediated ion transport in the small intestine of rats.

The hypothesis that failure of hosts infected with Trypanosoma brucei to express type 1 hypersensitivity is related to this parasite's ability to down-regulate IgE production, and not to an innate lack of allergenicity of T. brucei antigens, was tested by studying anaphylaxis-induced changes in net epithelial ion transport in rats. Transport changes were quantified electrophysiologically in vitro, as a change in transmural short-circuit current when sensitized intestine was challenged with homologous antigen. Rats injected parenterally with trypanosome antigen elicited intestinal anaphylaxis in response to antigenic challenge, whereas the intestine of rats infected with T. brucei failed to respond. Infection with T. brucei also suppressed the anaphylactic response in rats sensitized to and challenged with ovalbumin and T. spiralis-derived antigens. In these cases suppression was related to the ability of T. brucei to block production of IgE, and not to the physiological failure of the epithelial response. However, in rats sensitized by infection with T. spiralis, neither the anaphylactic response nor IgE production were inhibited by T. brucei. Furthermore, intestinal mastocytosis normally associated with trichinosis was unaffected by the trypanosome infection. Results support the conclusion that the failure to express anaphylaxis in T. brucei-infected rats is due to the inhibition of IgE production and not to the lack of allergenicity of trypanosome antigens.