HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 5 - 8, 1999

Expression of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in Fasciola gigantica derived from three hosts (cattle, water buffaloes and donkeys)

A. A. EL-GHAYSH, J. BARRETT1*, P. M. BROHY1

Cairo University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Box 12211 Giza, Egypt; 1Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK, e-mail: jzb@aber.ac.uk

Summary

Glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) from F. gigantica collected from cattle, water buffaloes and donkeys have been partially purified by glutathione affinity chromatography. F. gigantica expresses multiple forms of GST with similar SDS-PAGE mobility patterns as F. hepatica. The only indication in this study of why F. gigantica GSTs are less protective than F. hepatica GSTs in challenge infections was a six fold less overall GST specific activity in the tropical fluke.

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 9 - 12, 1999

Content of amino acids in adult tapeworm Ligula intestinalis (Pseudophyllidea)

V. BARUŠ, S. KRÁEMAR1, F. TENORA1, M. PROKEŠ, J. SITKO2

Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Kvitná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; 1Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic; 2Comenius Museum, Moravian Ornithological Station, Bezrucova 10, 751 52 Prerov, Czech Republic

Summary

17 amino acids (AA) were determined in adult specimens of the tapeworm Ligula intestinalis, from the intestine of cormorant (Phalocrocorax carbo). In comparing the AA values in adult tapeworms with those in plerocercoids from the body cavity of various fishes, in adult tapeworms statistically highly significantly higher values were found in threonine, valine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine, aspartic and glutamic acids, proline and alanine. An extremely high increase of the values in lysine and phenylalanine suggests an important role of these AAs in the protein synthesis at maturation, sexual organ development and egg production in this tapeworm species.

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 13 - 19, 1999

Cellular and humoral immune response in mice with a long-term Toxocara canis reinfection

Z. BOROSKOVA*, E. DVOROZNAKOVA, O. TOMASOVICOVA

Parasitological Institute SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovak Republic

Summary

The proliferative response of splenic T and B cells to nonspecific polyclonal activators (concanavalin A, lipopolysaccharide and pokeweed mitogen), specific circulating antibody level and macrophage metabolic activity were studied in mice reinfected every seven days of the experiment (140 days) with a dose of 50 Toxocara canis eggs per mouse. Significant differences have been found in the proliferative activity of T and B cells, depending on the source of serum used in the culture medium. In vitro incubation of infected mouse lymphocytes in foetal calves serum significantly increased the proliferative activity of both the cell populations to all mitogens on day 14 of experiment. On the contrary, lymphocytes incubated in autologous serum from infected mice showed their proliferative activity suppressed to all mitogens as early as on day 14 of experiment, with inhibition of B cell proliferation persisting throughout the experiment. With incubation of infected mouse lymphocytes in serum from healthy mice, only T cells showed an inhibited response to concanavalin A, persisting on day 28 for the duration of the experiment, while the B cell response to lipopolysaccharide was markedly stimulated on day 42 of experiment. Specific anti-toxocara circulating antibody level was increasing conspicuously from the beginning of the experiment, with the maximum reached on day 56. In the same period, also peritoneal macrophage metabolic activity increased significantly. The results suggest a partial suppression of nonspecific polyclonal activation of T and B cells and the stimulation of macrophage metabolic activity and antibody response of mice after their long-term reinfection.

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 19 - 23, 1999

A sero-epidemiological study of cystic echinococcosis in Izmir and its surroundings area, Turkey

N. Altintas*, S. Yazar, A. Yolasigmaz, C. Akisü, N. Sakru, F. Karacasu, A. Güzelant1

Ege University, Medical Faculty, Department of Parasitology and 1Department of Public Health, Izmir, Turkey, Tel: 00-90-232-3398290, Fax: 00-90-232-3881347, e-mail: altintas@med.ege.edu.tr

Summary

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most important helmintic diseases in Turkey. In this study ELISA and IFA techniques were used as an initial screening tests to estimate the prevalence of CE in man within the rural areas and also in the urban area of Izmir.  A total of 2055 blood samples were collected from residents of Izmir and surrounding area were processed, and 71 (3.45 %) sero-positive cases were detected. These sero-positive serum samples, and also 150 sero-negative sera, were retested with Indirect haemaglutination (IHA), SDS-PAGE and Western blotting and an Echinococcus antigen with an apparent molecular weight of 8 (or 12) and 116 kDa were identified as diagnostically important for patients of CE in Turkey.  According to our data, prevalence of CE in Izmir and surrounding area was found 291 per 100 000 (6/2055) inhabitants.

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 25 - 30, 1999

The effect of Echinococcus hydatid cyst fluid and protoscoleces on mouse peritoneal macrophages and spleen lymphocytes

J. SOLTYS, 1. TURCEKOVA, *P.H de RYCKE.

Parasitological Institute SAS Kosice, Slovak Republic; *University of Gent, Laboratory of Zoophysiology, Gent, Belgium

Summary

The toxic effect of protoscoleces and secondary hydatid cysts fluid of Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus was studied on mouse C57BL/ 6J peritoneal macrophages (PM) and spleen lymphocytes (Sly). Direct exposure of isolated E. granulosus protoscoleces and hydatid cyst fluid with PM led to the lysis of target cells after 7 and 12 hours, respectively. A 12-hour exposition of E. multilocularis protoscoleces with PM caused an 80 % reduction in viability of the cells. The cytotoxic activity of the E. multilocularis tissue was not observed. The cultures of PM were incubated in the presence of the E. multilocularis and E. granulosus hydatid cysts for 18, 36 hours or 7 days. The level of viabili- ty of PM was closely connected with the time of exposition and the lowest viability of PM was observed after 7 days of cultivation. Medium in which E. multilocularis had been cultured had cytotoxic activity. No toxicity was detected with media in which E. granulosus cysts had been cultured for 18, 36 hours or 7 days. The same interaction of hydatid cyst cultured medium with mouse SLy was not dependent on the time of incubation. The medium of E.granulosus hydatid cysts displayed a lower viability after 12 hours of incubation (ranging from 0 to 28 %) as compared with E. multilocularis (37 to 42 %).

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 25 - 30, 1999

An in vitro larval develoment test for detection of susceptibility of Oesophagostomum spp. of pigs to different macrocyclic lactone drugs

M. VARADY1,2, H. BJORN2,3, P. NANSEN2

1Parasitological Institute, SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Kosice, Slovak Republic; 2Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 3 Ridebanevej, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark

Summary

An in vitro larval development test was used to evaluate the effect of ivermectin, doramectin (avermectins) and moxidectin (milbemycins) on three different isolates of nodular worms Oesophagostomum spp. of pigs. Eggs from each isolate were cultured to third stage larvae in order to determine the concentration of anthelmintics (LD50) which prevent 50 % of larvae to reach L3 stage. Comparison of LD50 values between ivermectin, doramectin and moxidectin in all three isolates demonstrated a non-significant differences between the concentrations of anthelmintics which inhibit the development of larvae to L3 stage.

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 35 - 48, 1999

New data on morphology and taxonomy of Tschertkovilepis and Drepanidotaenia (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) representatives, parasites of wild and domestic geese in Slovakia

J. K. MACKO, M. SPAKULOVA

Parasitological Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Kosice, Slovak Republic

Summary

New data are presented on the morphological variability of four hymenolepidid species from wild and domestic geese in Slovakia, namely Tschertkovilepis barrowensis (Schiler, 1952) comb. n., Tschertkovilepis krabbei (Kowalewski, 1895) Czaplinski et Jarecka, 1967, Tschertko- vilepis setigera (Froelich, 1789) Spasskii et Spasskaya, 1954 and Drepanidotaenia lanceolata (Bloch, 1782) Railliet, 1892. On the basis of original findings and data obtained from the literature, the separation of avian hymenolepidids with antiporal position of female gonads into two genera is proposed. Drepanidotaenia Railliet, 1892 is characterised by 8 diorchoid rostellar hooks and numerous internal longitudinal muscle bundles and Tschertko- vilepis Spasskii et Spasskaya, 1954 by 10 diorchoid rostellar hooks and numerous internal muscle bundles. The latter genus, which has recently been synonymized with Microsomacanthus Lopez-Neyra, 1942, is proposed to become valid and to comprise the species: T. setigera (Froelich, 1789) Spasskii et Spasskaya, 1954, T. krabbei (Kowalewski, 1892) Czaplinski et Jarecka, 1967, T. ardeae (Fuhrmann, 1906) comb. n., T. barrowensis (Schiller, 1952) comb. n., T. bilateralis (Linstow, 1905) comb. n., T. signachiana (Kurashvili, 1950) comb. n. and T. teshekpukensis (Dronen, Martin et Taylor, 1994) comb. n. Accordingly, the genus Microsomacanthus is proposed to be characterised by 10 diorchoid rostellar hooks, 8 internal muscle bundles and other characters.

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 49 - 56, 1999

The ocurrence of Longidoridae (Nematoda) in forests in the Slovak Republic

M. LISKOVÁ, D. J. F. BROWN1

Parasitological Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Kosice, Slovak Republic; 1Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK

Summary

A comprehensive survey of the various forest ecosystems in the Slovak Republic revealed the presence of twenty species of the Family Longidoridae: Longidorus attenuatus, L. carpathicus, L. closelongatus, L. cylindricaudatus, L. elongatus, L. euonymus, L. intermedius, L. iuglandis, L. leptocephalus, L. macrosoma, L. nevesi, L. piceicola, L. picenus, L. silvae, and one unidentified L. sp.; Paralongidorus maximus; Xiphinema dentatum, X. diversicaudatum, X. taylori and X. vuittenezi. Climatic, topographic and soil characteristics of the ecosystems were correlated with the occurrence and geographical distribution of the individual longidorid species.

 

HELMINTHOLOGIA, 36, 1: 57 - 59, 1999

Research note

A first record of Protostrongylus tauricus Schulz et Kadenazii, 1949 (Nematoda: Protostrongylidae) in Iberian Peninsula

J.C. Casanova, T. Vila, M. Spakulová*

Laboratori de Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmacia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda Diagonal s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. *Parasitological Institute SAS, Hlinkova 3, 04001 Kosice, Slovak Republic

Summary

A protostrongylid nematode Protostrongylus tauricus Schulz et Kadenazii, 1949 was found parasitizing lungs of the European hare Lepus europeus (Pallas, 1778) in Navarra, the Northeastern Iberian Peninsula. The data represent a new geographical record of the parasite referred previously from Central and Eastern Europe.