Critical Role for Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Factor 6 in Mediating Intestinal Muscle Hypercontractility and Worm Expulsion in Trichinella spiralis-Infected Mice

Intestinal nematode infections in rats or mice are accompanied by intestinal muscle hyper contractility that may contribute to parasite expulsion from the gut. Previous studies demonstrated that both the expulsion of nematode parasites and the associated muscle hyper contractility are dependent on CD4(+) T helper cells. Nevertheless, the precise immunological mechanism underlying changes in intestinal muscle function remains to be determined. …