Intestinal phospholipase B activity in swine inoculated with Trichinella spiralis.

Trichinella spiralis was studied in outbred swine to determine whether infection would cause an increase in intestinal phospholipase B (EC 3.1.1.5) activity and in number of peripheral eosinophils. Intestinal phospholipase B activities increased and were accompanied by eosinophilia. The response was similar to that found in rodents infected with helminth parasites, thus demonstrating that phospholipase B is not unique to rodent models and is probably part of the complex immune response of the host in defense against parasitic infections.