Study of the kinetics of globule leucocytes in the intestinal epithelium of rats after single or double infection with Trichinella spiralis.

In a previous study we suggested that intestinal globule leucocytes (GL) in the mouse represent a cell population independent of the intestinal mast cells (IMC). In this paper we examined the interdependence of IMC and GL in the rat and also the kinetics of GL in the intestinal epithelium. For this purpose rats received a single or double infection with the nematode Trichinella spiralis. After the double infection worms were rapidly expelled. The numbers of IMC and GL were related to the degree of infection. IMC were always observed evenly distributed through the stroma of the villus. During infection, however, GL were shown to shift from a predominantly infra-nuclear position in the crypt of Lieberkühn and the base of the villus, to a supra-nuclear position in the base and mid-villus region. The data were interpreted as evidence for active migration of GL through the epithelial lining. The fact the GL were first observed in the crypt and basal villus region and the consecutive kinetics could be interpreted as evidence for the independence of GL from IMC. On the other hand a preferential migration of degranulated IMC to the crypt and basal villus region cannot be excluded.