Effect of carnosine administration on the immune response of rabbit to Schistosoma mansoni antigens.

SDS-PAGE separation of soluble worm antigen preparation (SWAP), cercarial antigen preparation (CAP), and soluble egg antigen (SEA) of Schistosoma mansoni showed obvious qualitative and quantitative differences. The shared polypeptides of the three stages of S. mansoni were 116, 72.768 and 32.367 kDa under reducing conditions. The different anti-sera raised in rabbits against the different stages of antigens were recognized by electroimmune transfer blotting (EITB). Each of the 3 groups separated eight bands. Carnosine treatment of rabbits immunized with SWAP, CAP or SEA resulted in the disappearance of two bands in SWAP group and one band in CAP group in comparison with the non-treated immunized groups. This indicated that the carnosine modulated immune response of rabbits against S. mansoni antigens.

Suface topography of adult Anchitrema sanguineum (Sansio, 1894) Looss, 1899 and Prosthodendrium (Prosthodendrium) urna (Looss, 1907) Dollfus, 1931 infecting bats in Upper Egypt (Qena).

Anchitrema sanguineum and Prosthodendrium (Prosthodendrium) urna are two digenean trematodes infecting many species of bats in Egypt. The surface topography of them was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Examination of A. sanguineum revealed the presence of posteriorly directed broadbase spines allover the body. The oral sucker is bordered by several small sucker-like papillae and few irregularly distributed pores. The ventral sucker is smaller than the oral one and surrounded by several papillae. In P. (P.) urna the body is covered with simple, spines posteriorly directed. The oral sucker has few papillae and its tegumental rim slightly elevated. The ventral sucker is slightly larger than the oral one.