The effect of immunosuppressive therapy on the course of development of Dictyocaulus viviparus in guinea-pigs.
Three chemical immunosuppressive agents, viz. dexamethasone, methotrexate and cyclophosphamide, were administered to guinea-pigs two days prior to their infection with Dictyocaulus viviparus infective larvae and onward. The cell mediated immunity of these guinea-pigs was subdued under the influence of these immunosuppressive agents as evidenced by macrophage migration inhibition test but this could not prevent or postpone the rejection of majority of the worm population of guinea-pigs on day 15 post-infection. Methotrexate exerted, besides its cell mediated immunosuppressive action on the host, some inhibitory influence on the general biotic potentialities of the developing worms so that, on day eight post-infection, a reduced number of stunted worms was recovered.