Ultrastructural and muscular modifications of adult schistosoma mansoni worms induced by artemether [ART] in vitro

Schistosomiasis is one of the most important public health problems worldwide. In spite of two decades of safe and effective widespread chemotherapy with praziquantel, the number of individuals with schistosomiasis remains high with the appearance of drug resistance. So, it diverts the attention to other anti-parasitic drugs like artemesinin derivatives e.g. artemether [ART]. This study was done to assess the effects of ART on the tegument and musculature of adult Schistosoma mansoni worms in vitro. Five groups of S. mansoni coupled adult worms, each of 10 couples, were used. Four groups were tested in vitro using different concentrations of ART [20, 40, 80 and 100microg/ml] for 24 hours of exposure. These adult worms were obtained by hepatic perfusion technique seven weeks postinfection by 100+/-10 S. mansoni cercariae in male white albino mice using tail immersion method. Ultrastructural and muscular modifications of adult S. mansoni worms were assessed using Scanning Electron Microscopy [SEM] and a special device respectively. SEM examination revealed that after 24 hours of exposure to 40microg/ml ART, the tegument showed vesicles and loss of spines. On exposure to 80microg/ml ART, the tegument showed cracking and more loss of spines. After exposure to 100microg/ml ART, tegument appeared mostly distorted with cracking, peeling, bleb formation and the spines covering the tubercles appeared to be partially lost. ART elicited muscle contraction and reached the highest response with 100microg/ml ART. The maximal increase in muscle tension [% shortening of worms] was 44.1 +/- 1.79 % shortening induced by the highest concentration [100microg/ml] of ART

First record of the parasitic copepod, lernanthropus Indicus [crustacea: lernanthropidae] on carangoides bajad from the red sea, egypt

The present work investigated Lernanthropidae copepod genus Lernanthropus based on adult female specimens removed from the gills of orange spotted travally Carangoides bajad, a commercially important teleost fish species of the Red Sea, Egypt in during the period from April 2015 to March 2016. A total of 82 C. bajad [Local name: Bayad] were examined, 35 specimens were identified as Lernanthropus indicus. Lernanthropus indicus is an important pest of economically valuable importance fishes in seawater and, therefore, can cause severe damage to the host tissues. The present work represents the first record for the presence of this parasite in C. bajad fish as a new host in Red Sea water. The presented results were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Female body surface ventrally ornamented with patches of setules and elongated with long egg sacs. Cephalothorax with dorsal shield slightly is narrower

anteriorly. SEM showed that the 2nd antenna of Lernanthropus is characteristically prehensile and uncinate and thus provides the main force for the attachment to the host tissue