Effect of Hymenolepis nana on the protein and lipid in the intestinal mucosal cells of mice.

Total proteins and total lipids were histochemically demonstrated in the intestinal mucosal cells of mice experimentally infected with H. nana. At the tissue phase, moderate decrease in both protein and lipid contents was noticed in the jejunal mucosal cells of villi with intravillous oncospheres or cysticercoids while in non-invaded villi, mucosal cells showed normal contents. At the luminal phase, marked decrease in protein contents and slight decrease in lipid contents were demonstrated in the ileal mucosal cells of most of the villi. The significance of these findings and their relevance to human infection with H. nana are presented.