Subject(s)
Fish Diseases/microbiology , Flavobacteriaceae Infections/veterinary , Flavobacterium/genetics , Genetic Variation/genetics , Animals , DNA Primers/chemistry , DNA, Bacterial/chemistry , Fishes , Flavobacteriaceae Infections/microbiology , Flavobacterium/classification , Flavobacterium/isolation & purification , Molecular Sequence Data , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sequence Alignment , TemperatureABSTRACT
Echinostoma caproni tail loss was studied in vitro in the presence of the toxicant copper sulphate (CuSO4) in concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 000 mg l(-1) in standardized artificial spring water (pH 7.4, osmolarity 34 mOsm kg(-1) H2O, Ca(2+) 20 mg l(-1)) at 23 degrees C. Tail loss was also studied in the absence of toxicants during in vivo encystment of the cercariae in juvenile Biomphalaria glabrata. As the concentration of CuSO4 increased, the percentage of cercarial tail loss increased. By 2 h in 10 000 mg l(-1), 1000 mg l(-1) and 100 mg l(-1) CuSO4, 50%, 23% and 13%, respectively, of the cercariae had lost their tails. In the in vivo studies, by 1 h PI, 59+/-5% of cercariae had lost their tails and only 4+/-1% of the cercariae were actively swimming in the multi-well dishes. At 3 h PI, 72+/-3% of the cercariae began to form cysts within the snails.
Subject(s)
Biomphalaria/parasitology , Copper Sulfate/toxicity , Echinostoma/physiology , Animals , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Echinostoma/drug effects , In Vitro Techniques , Life Cycle Stages , Tail/drug effectsABSTRACT
The effects of various concentrations of copper sulphate were studied on in vitro encystment of Echinostoma caproni in a Locke's-artificial spring water (ASW) (1:1) medium. Cercariae were killed in 10,000 mg l(-1) CuSO4 in Locke's-ASW (1:1) within 24 h and extruded cystogenous material to produce an abnormal cyst wall. The 'emergency response' of encystment to high concentrations of copper reported for Parorchis acanthus cercariae did not occur in E. caproni. Concentrations of 1000 mg l(-1) and 100 mg l(-1) CuSO4 in Locke's-ASW (1:1) also killed the cercariae without encystment by 48 h. A concentration of 10 mg l(-1) CuSO4 in Locke's-ASW (1:1) allowed for normal in vitro encystment within 48 h and these cysts were capable of excystation in a trypsin-bile salts medium.
Subject(s)
Anthelmintics/pharmacology , Copper Sulfate/pharmacology , Echinostoma/drug effects , Animals , Echinostoma/growth & development , Echinostoma/ultrastructure , Life Cycle Stages/drug effects , Parasitology/methodsABSTRACT
The effects of snail size on encystment of Echinostoma caproni cercariae in neonatal and juvenile Biomphalaria glabrata (NMRI strain) snails were studied. Encystment in neonatal (0.7-1.1 mm shell diameter) and juvenile (2-3 mm shell diameter) snails was compared 24 h post-infection (PI) following individual exposure of snails of each size to 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cercariae. Significantly more cysts were recovered from juveniles exposed to 1, 5, 10 and 50 cercariae than from neonatals with comparable exposure. Size of B. glabrata was a major factor in determining cyst burden in this planorbid. Survival of infected versus uninfected neonatals and juveniles was also examined for 7 days. Neonatals exposed to 10 cercariae showed a significant decrease in survival at 3, 6 and 7 days PI when compared to the uninfected controls. There was no significant decrease in the survival of juveniles exposed to 10 cercariae compared to uninfected controls at any time point. Snail size was a factor in mortality associated with echinostome cercarial penetration and encystment.
