Experimental murine toxocariasis histopathological study of chronic renal infection, transplacental transmission and ultrastructural study of egg shell.

Histopathological examination of kidney of swiss albino mice, 2 1/2 months after infection with Toxocara canis eggs revealed various pictures of pathological affection. There was diffuse mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis with mesangeal expansion of most of glomeruli. Some glomeruli showed severe hyalinosis with marked adhesions to the bowman's capsule. The lumina of glomerular capillaries were markedly obliterated. There was also cystic dilatation of tubules with proteinaceous casts. The intersitial tissue showed mild inflammatory oedema. Chronic inflammatory cellular infiltration to form granulomatous inflammation was noticed. Transplacental transmission of Toxocara larvae was assessed in embryo of pregnant female swiss albino mice which were infected with Toxocara eggs in the 1st week of pregnancy. The larvae were detected in the liver of embryo. Ultrastructural study of the egg shell revealed its formation of 4 layers; a thin uterine membrane with occassional small bulges, vitelline layer, thick homogenous layer, and fibrous lamellar and lipid layer.