Dipetalonema reconditum (Grassi, 1890) (Nematoda: Filaroidea): primer informe en la Isla de la Juventud / Dipetalonema reconditum (Grassi, 1890) (Nematoda: Filaroidea) first report in the Isle of the Youth

Se describe el primer informe de Dipetalonema reconditum (Grassi, 1890) en 3 perros de la Isla de la Juventud. La identificación se realizó según la morfología de las microfilarias aisladas, mediante la técnica de Knott, de la sangre de los perros infestados. Las microfilarias se midieron y compararon con las encontradas anteriormente en perros de Ciudad de la Habana, coincidiendo con éstas en el largo y ancho, la presencia del cuerpo refráctil y la cola en forma de gancho, características propias de esta especie. Se encontró un caso con infestación mixta de Dirofilaria immitis y D. reconditum

In vitro cultivation of Dipetalonema viteae third-stage larvae: evaluation of culture media, serum, and other supplements.

Third-stage larvae of Dipetalonema viteae obtained from the tick vector developed to the fourth stage in several cell-free culture systems. Survival and development of larvae in a number of commercially available cell culture media, supplemented with serum and other defined and undefined components, were compared. All cultures were gassed with 5% carbon dioxide in nitrogen. Best survival, growth and development were obtained in stationary cultures containing 1:1 (v/v) mixtures of NCTC 135, either RPMI 1640 or Iscove's Modified Dulbecco's Medium, and a supplement of 20% non-heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum. The importance of the medium composition and physical environment of the culture system, for the survival, growth and development of D. viteae was demonstrated.

[R1 cell and musculature of Filariae; ultrastructural analysis (author's transl)]. / Cellule R1 et musculature des Filaires; analyse ultrastructurale.

Ultrastructural study of ontogenesis of a filaria, Dipetalonema (M.) dessetea, confirms Bain's (1970) hypothesis, following which the R1 cell plays a role in the elaboration of the musculature of the adult filaria. Anatomical observations related to the hypodermis and musculature of the larva (distribution of the cells, nature of their junctions, presence of intermediate cells between embryonic cells derived from R1 cell and muscle cells) show that the cells derived from R1, which form four longitudinal files, produced successively, from 5th to 13th day, about ten files of muscle cells in each submedian field. The primary musculature of the microfilaria, which corresponds to a single file of muscular cells in each field, is not ectodermic, as supposed before, but mesenchimatic. At the vicinity of R1 daughter cells, this musculature is slightly dedifferenciated (about 5 files of myofilaments instead of 10-20 in the microfilaria and the L3); then its evolution becomes identical to this of new formed muscle cells. The presence as well as the evolution of the R1 cell seem to be identical in every totally heteroxenous Phasmidian Nematodes; both suggest analogy with the imaginal discs of the holometabolic Insects.