Abstract

Evaluation of abscesses appearing in male and female euthymic and athymic (nude) Balb/c mice after subcutaneous injection of Trichomonas vaginalis in the dorsal region showed that females were more susceptible than males. Female euthymic mice, however, were more susceptible than male athymic mice, and splenectomised athymic males were more susceptible than non-splenectomised athymic males. F1 female athymic mice were the most susceptible, as their abscesses reached a peak size five days earlier than those of athymic homozygous females. F1 male athymic mice, though slightly more susceptible than athymic homozygous males, did not develop abscesses that were similar in size. These results suggest that resistance or susceptibility to T vaginalis infection depends on the gender of the host and on thymus dependent cellular populations.