TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF TEGUMENT AND DIGESTIVE TRACT OF SCHISTOSOMA JAPONICUM DURING LONG TERM CULTIVATION IN VITRO / 中国寄生虫学与寄生虫病杂志

ABSTRACT

The article reports the result of the observation on the ultrastructure of the tegument and digestive tract of Schistosoma japonicum schistosomula cultured 130 days in vitro in 841 medium,and the 42-day-old adults from infected animal cultured 23 days in 851 medium by transmission electron microscopy.The results showed that the ultrastructure of the tegument including sensory papillae and flame cells was normal.The matrix seemed to have no vacuolization.The surface of the esophagus was highly rugous.Many laminae and lipid droplets filled the lumen of the digestive tract and the tubules-like depressions from basal lamina were occured.All these structures seemed to have less variation as compared with the prior authors' data from normal worms.It is considered that the above two media which we cesigned were suitable for the growth and development of the schistosomes due to the tegument and digestive tract maintained their metabolic function in the long-term cultivation in vitro.(Figs 1-10).