Experimental parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Evaluation of the resistance of Anisakis spp. larvae to products regularly used in the industry and households","authors":"Abdelkader Biary ,&nbsp;Salma Berrouch ,&nbsp;Brahim Mimouni ,&nbsp;Jamal Eddine Hafid","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108932","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108932","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rise in popularity of raw or undercooked fish dishes like sushi, sashimi, and ceviche has led to an increase in human cases of anisakiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the resistance of Anisakis larvae to substances like bleach, salt, brine, and marinades. Batches of 10 larvae were exposed to various concentrations of commercial bleach (pure, 50 %, 25 %, 12.5 %, 6.25 %) and salt (dry, 360 g/L, 90 g/L, 45 g/L, 20 g/L). Larvae were also tested with two vinaigrettes (one with mustard and one without) and four marinades made with vinegar and salt. Sodium hypochlorite was highly effective, killing larvae within minutes, with pure bleach eliminating them in 40 s. Dry salt killed them in under 70 min, while different concentrations of brine inactivated them over a period ranging from 3 to 17 days. Dressings with mustard worked faster than those without, and vinegar with higher acetic acid content (8 %) killed larvae in 6 h, compared to 29 h for 6 % acetic acid. Salt and vinegar marinades were more effective together: a combination of 8 % acetic acid and 6 % salt killed larvae in 2.5 h. Overall, sodium hypochlorite proved to be the most effective, while the combination of salt and vinegar also significantly reduced larval survival. These findings highlight the importance of using bleach for disinfecting surfaces and utensils after handling fish to prevent cross-contamination and ensure food safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"272 ","pages":"Article 108932"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Suppression of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1) activity produced positive impacts on disease severity, survival, and histopathological features of mice infected with Plasmodium berghei","authors":"Mukhtar Gambo Lawal ,&nbsp;Abdullahi Samaila ,&nbsp;Rusliza Basir ,&nbsp;Nur Aimi Liyana Abd Aziz ,&nbsp;Abdusalam Abdullah Alarabei ,&nbsp;Maizaton Atmadini Abdullah ,&nbsp;Roslaini Abd Majid ,&nbsp;Norshariza Nordin ,&nbsp;Mohd Khairi Hussain ,&nbsp;Elysha Nur Ismail","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108930","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108930","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Malaria is a life-threatening disease, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Malaria treatment remains a challenge due to its intricate pathophysiology and high levels of parasite resistance to many currently available antimalarial agents. Thus, there is an urgent need for more therapeutic strategies to combat the disease. OGG1 activity has been implicated in many inflammatory disease conditions, making suppressing OGG1 activity a potential target for therapeutic purposes. The current study aimed to determine the effect of suppressing OGG1 activity on the severity, survival, and histopathological features of <em>P. berghei</em>-infected mice. In this study, the effects of modulating OGG1 activity on parasitaemia development, disease progression, survival rate, and histopathological outcomes in major organs of <em>Plasmodium berghei</em> (<em>P. berghei)</em> infected mice were evaluated. A significant difference in the mean parasitaemia was observed between the Vehicle, TH5487-treated, and O8-treated mice (p &lt; 0.001). Vehicle-treated mice exhibited markedly elevated mean percentage parasitaemia and succumbed to the infection earlier than TH5487 and O8-treated mice. The O8-treated mice showed the highest parasitaemia reduction of 39.60 ± 1.53 % compared to TH5487-treated mice. Histopathological examination revealed less severe pathological features associated with <em>P. berghei</em> infection in mice treated with OGG1 inhibitors than in vehicle-treated malaria mice. Significant differences were observed in the sequestration of PRBC, inflammation, hemozoin deposition, and architectural loss in mice treated with O8 and TH5487 compared to untreated malaria mice. The results of this study suggested that OGG1 suppression led to a decrease in parasitaemia and severity of the histopathological features in <em>P. berghei</em>-infected mice. The increased survival of treated malaria mice further supported this effect. These findings indicate that OGG1 suppression could be a potential therapeutic strategy during malaria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"272 ","pages":"Article 108930"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143633987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Involvement of Toxoplasma gondii natural antisense transcripts in cellular stress responses","authors":"Yue Gou,&nbsp;Laura Agudelo Vallejo,&nbsp;Ana Podadera,&nbsp;Kenneth Ng,&nbsp;Sirinart Ananvoranich","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108931","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108931","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural antisense transcripts (NATs), as a major subset of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), are derived from every chromosome of <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, with the highest occurrence from ChrIa (18.4 NATs per Mbp) and the lowest from ChrIX (3.9 NATs per Mbp). GO analysis indicates that genes, which mRNA-NAT pairs are derived, are important for house-keeping and essential activities of <em>T. gondii</em>. Approximately half of protein encoding genes, whose loci also generate NATs, are involved in biological processes of metabolic processes and protein biochemistry and have canonical catalytic or binding activities. Using NAT of ubiquitin-like protease 1 (<em>TgUlp1</em>-NAT) as our study model, we showed that <em>TgUlp1</em>-NAT expression is part of cellular stress responses. Using a nanoluc reporter system, we confirmed that electroporation or membrane destabilization significantly induced <em>TgUlp1</em>-NAT expression. When the extracellular parasites were exposed to media containing high potassium, high sodium or altered osmotic pressure, <em>TgUlp1</em>-NAT expression was significantly down-regulated. In addition, two <em>TgUlp1</em>-NAT variants were detected in stressed <em>T. gondii</em>. One is an intron-retained variant, and the other is a spliced variant, referred to as <em>TgUlp1</em>-NATa and <em>TgUlp1</em>-NATb, respectively. The intronic sequence is 368 nts long, where regulatory small ncRNAs were derived. Taken together, we have confirmed that NAT expressions and functions are involved in cellular adaptation that allows <em>T. gondii</em> recover from stresses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108931"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143630281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a multiplex PCR assay targeting mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit III (cox3) gene for simultaneous specific and sensitive detection of Babesia gibsoni and Babesia vogeli in dogs","authors":"Mitesh Mittal ,&nbsp;Soumendu Chakravarti ,&nbsp;Krishnendu Kundu ,&nbsp;Prashant Tripathi ,&nbsp;Pramod Batra","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108922","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108922","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Canine babesiosis is a potential threat for the dog population worldwide. Rapid, sensitive, and specific identification of the etiological agent to the species is pivotal for initiating effective therapeutic and control measures. Co-infection with multiple species pathogens due to multiple vectors infesting dogs is not uncommon. A multiplex PCR (Bg-Bv mPCR) for simultaneous detection and differentiation of the two common <em>Babesia</em> species, <em>B. gibsoni</em> and <em>B</em>. <em>vogeli</em> has been developed targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit III (cox3) gene. These two species are the species responsible for causing canine babesiosis in Indian subcontinent and Southern Asia. This cox3 gene is present in high copy number and the sequences are species specific and hence targeted to develop the diagnostic multiplex PCR. The multiplex PCR was able to detect up to 5 pg DNA of the <em>Babesia</em> species. No cross-amplifications were observed between the primers specific for either <em>B. vogeli</em> or <em>B. gibsoni</em>. The Bg-Bv mPCR resulted in significantly higher <em>B. gibsoni</em> positives (30/250) than existing 18S ribosomal RNA PCR (22/250). Similarly, the mPCR detected more <em>B. vogeli</em> (26/250) than the 18S rRNA PCR (18/250). The kappa statistics when applied to the results generated by each of the PCR tests also revealed a substantial to perfect agreement between the data. The multiplex PCR targeting <em>cox3</em> gene is thus a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for simultaneous detection and differentiation of the <em>B</em>. <em>gibsoni</em> and <em>B</em>. <em>vogeli</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108922"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143585295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of combination chemotherapy with praziquantel and gentamicin or doxycycline on acute hepatic and intestinal schistosomiasis in BALB/c mice","authors":"Marisa de O. Lopes ,&nbsp;Luis F.C. dos Reis ,&nbsp;Matheus P. de Araújo ,&nbsp;Aline P. Castro ,&nbsp;Cláudio Daniel Cerdeira ,&nbsp;Juliana B. Nunes ,&nbsp;Raquel L.M. Souza ,&nbsp;Luiz F.L. Coelho ,&nbsp;Marcos J. Marques","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108928","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108928","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and aims</h3><div>Marked divergences in the immunological mechanisms that regulate the pathophysiology of acute and chronic schistosomiasis have a direct influence on pathological outcomes and antiparasitic chemotherapy responses at different stages of <em>Schistosoma mansoni</em> infection. In that way, this study evaluated the impact of combination antiparasitic chemotherapy, involving gentamicin (GEN) and doxycycline (DOX) in combination with praziquantel (PZQ) on the development of acute hepatic and intestinal schistosomiasis in mice.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>BALB/cmice were randomized into five experimental groups, and the formation of hepatic and intestinal granulomas was evaluated by histopathological and histomorphometric analyses, quantification of hepatic parasite load, and biochemical parameters (ALT, AST, ALP, and albumin).</div></div><div><h3>Main findings</h3><div>PZQ + DOX combination potentiated hepatic granulomatous inflammation, diffuse fibrosis and ALT circulating levels, indicating greater morphofunctional liver damage. AST levels were increased in PZQ + GEN-treated animals. This response corroborated the histopathological findings, indicating an accelerated modulation towards the chronic phase as manifested by reduced granuloma size compared to infected untreated animals.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>PZQ combination with DOX and GEN induced differential modulation of the granulomatous inflammation, with DOX aggravating this process and GEN exerting protective effects by accelerating schistosomiasis resolution in <em>S. mansoni</em>-infected mice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108928"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143585333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818) as a paratenic host of Angiostrongylus vasorum (Baillet,1866) Kamensky, 1905","authors":"Isabela Resende Ávila ,&nbsp;Weder Gomes de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Cíntia Aparecida de Jesus Pereira ,&nbsp;Mônica Alves Neves Diniz Ferreira ,&nbsp;Thales Augusto Barçante ,&nbsp;Joziana Muniz de Paiva Barçante ,&nbsp;Walter dos Santos Lima","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108925","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108925","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Angiostrongylus vasorum</em> parasitizes the pulmonary arteries and heart of dogs (definitive hosts - DHs). Various mollusk species act as intermediate hosts (IHs), becoming infected through ingestion and/or penetration of first-stage larvae (L1), which subsequently develop into second-stage larvae (L2) and then third-stage larvae (L3), the latter being infective to DHs. Additionally, paratenic hosts (PHs), such as frogs, chickens, and rats, can harbor L3. This study aimed to assess whether <em>Biomphalaria glabrata</em> could function as a PH for <em>A. vasorum</em>, identifying potential larval penetration routes, migratory routes, and histological alterations at different time points post-infection. L3 larvae were recovered from <em>B. glabrata</em> mollusks 30 days after exposure to 1000 L1 of <em>A. vasorum</em>, using the Baermann technique. The recovered L3 were used to infect <em>B. glabrata</em>, with the number of 100 L3+ (L3 obtained from mollusks previously infected with 100 L3). Viable and motile L3+ of <em>A. vasorum</em> were detected within mollusk tissues, demonstrating their permissiveness to L3+ infection. The other infected mollusks were fixed in 10% formalin for histological analysis, revealing the presence of larvae, with a tendency in the cephalopodal region. Regarding the viability of L3+, two mixed-breed dogs were fed canine pâté containing L3+, and L1 larvae were detected in their feces. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the potential of <em>B. glabrata</em> to function as a PH in the <em>A. vasorum</em> cycle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108925"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143562387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A step forward to revolutionize the eimeriosis controlling strategies in cattle by using traditional medication","authors":"Muhammad Zahid Sarfaraz ,&nbsp;Sidra Abbas ,&nbsp;Muhammad Arfan Zaman ,&nbsp;Asia Parveen ,&nbsp;Safina Kousar ,&nbsp;Muhammad Zulqarnain","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108926","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108926","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>More than 10 species of <em>Eimeria</em> is found in cattle but <em>Eimeria zuernii</em> is one of the most pathogenic protozoan parasites affecting the global livestock industry. At the herd level, <em>E. zuernii</em> can cause illness in 10–80% of animals and reduce gross margins by 8–9%, leading to estimated annual losses of $731 million. This review highlights the economic impact, prevalence, and current control methods for <em>E. zuernii</em> infections, as well as the challenges associated with treatment and the development of alternative control methods. In the past two decades, 22 studies have examined synthetic drugs for managing eimeriosis in cattle. Various anticoccidial drugs (AcDs; Amprolium, decoquinate, ionophores, monensin, lasalocid, toltrazuril etc) have been used, but the efficacy of these drugs is no more consistent. Because of this, <em>E. zuernii</em> develops resistance to some of these anticoccidials. This trend highlights the urgent need for alternative treatments. The medicinal plants being enriched with various phytochemicals like flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenes etc have been reported as potential anticoccidial, anthelmintic and antimicrobial efficacy against the different parasites including <em>Eimeria</em> species in chicken, pig and rabbits. However, this review suggests the research community to treat the <em>E. zuernii</em> with a plant based medication (oils and extracts). This review critically emphasizes the need to acknowledge the significant role of medicinal plants in controlling eimeriosis and also the large-scale trials or standardization of plant-based therapies is required. By incorporating plant-based remedies into integrated treatment strategies alongside synthetic drugs and improved sanitation practices, we can effectively minimize financial losses and safeguard livestock health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108926"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143566384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Survival analysis of Rhipicephalus microplus larvae treated with coumarinic derivatives","authors":"Carlos Eduardo Rodríguez Molano ,&nbsp;José Jobanni Martínez Zambrano ,&nbsp;Nidya Alexandra Segura Guerrero ,&nbsp;Sergio Ulloa Torres ,&nbsp;Valentina Rodríguez Montaña ,&nbsp;Melisa Daniela Munevar Romero ,&nbsp;Néstor Julián Pulido Suarez","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108927","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108927","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus</em> represents one of the greatest challenges for livestock production in tropical and subtropical regions. Its control has been based on the use of synthetic chemical acaricides, which has led to the development of resistance to active ingredients belonging to the pyrethroid and organophosphate groups. Therefore, the search for new compounds with acaricidal potential is a priority in the control of ticks in cattle. This study evaluated the effect of different concentrations of coumarin derivatives (CD) on the survival of <em>R. (B.) microplus</em> larvae by larval bundle testing. The data obtained were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model. A reduction in larval survival was observed with coumarins that had methyl substituents in the R4 or R7 positions, especially C12, while an opposite effect was detected with chloromethyl substituents in R4 or isobutyl in R3. These findings highlight the potential of coumarin derivatives in the development of new strategies for tick control and the management of resistance to conventional acaricides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108927"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143572328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the AnTat A/B and LiTat A/B primers for the detection of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense","authors":"Hamidou Ilboudo ,&nbsp;Martial Kassi N'Djetchi ,&nbsp;Windingoudi Justin Kaboré ,&nbsp;Jacques Kaboré ,&nbsp;Barkissa Mélika Traoré ,&nbsp;Marc Christian Tahita ,&nbsp;Bernardin Ahouty Ahouty ,&nbsp;Stijn Deborggraeve ,&nbsp;Roger Eloiflin ,&nbsp;Adeline Ségard ,&nbsp;Bruno Bucheton ,&nbsp;Mathurin Koffi ,&nbsp;Vincent Jamonneau","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108929","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108929","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT) as a public health problem has been reached or is in sight in a number of endemic foci and the next step is now to reach the elimination of transmission. The ability to detect <em>Trypanosoma</em> <em>brucei</em> <em>gambiense</em> (<em>T.</em> <em>b.</em> <em>gambiense</em>) in both the last human cases and in a suspected animal reservoir becomes increasingly important to reach this goal. We have evaluated here the diagnostic performance of the AnTat A/B and LiTat A/B primers in comparison with the TBR, TgsGP and nested TgsGP PCRs that are currently used for the molecular diagnosis of gHAT. The evaluation was based on serial DNA dilutions from two <em>T.</em> <em>b.</em> <em>gambiense</em> strains for sensitivity, purified reference strains for specificity and field strains isolated from pigs in Côte d’Ivoire for field application. Results showed that the two PCRs (AnTat A/B and LiTat A/B) are not specific for <em>T.</em> <em>b.</em> <em>gambiense</em>, limiting their relevance for studies on suspected animal reservoirs. However, they could represent complementary tools to improve the molecular diagnosis of gHAT in the elimination process even if the detection limit was lowest than for the TgsGP PCR. The results also once more suggest that nested TgsGP PCR should be interpreted with caution as they may lead to an over-estimation of the <em>T.</em> <em>b.</em> <em>gambiense</em> prevalence particularly in animal studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108929"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143550687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural insights into Trichuris muris eggs through 3D modeling, Cryo-SEM, and TEM of samples prepared with HPF-FS","authors":"Brunna Vianna Braga ,&nbsp;Ludmila Rocha Lima ,&nbsp;Larissa Figueiredo Belem ,&nbsp;Dayane Alvarinho de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Kildare Rocha de Miranda ,&nbsp;Eduardo José Lopes-Torres","doi":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108924","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.exppara.2025.108924","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trichuriasis – a disease caused by <em>Trichuris trichiura</em> – affects underserved communities. Infection occurs by the ingestion of embryonated eggs, a resilient structure against environmental fluctuations – an essential feature for the survival and transmission of trichurids. This study aims to enhance our comprehension of the trichurid eggs by providing a characterization of the ultrastructure of eggshell and first-stage (L1) larvae of <em>T</em>. <em>muris</em>, a key experimental model for trichuriasis. We employed the following microscopy techniques: light, fluorescence, confocal, Cryo-SEM, and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), analyzing unfixed, chemical and cryofixed samples. Light microscopy revealed the structure of the eggshell, consisting of three main layers: <em>Pellicula ovi</em> (PO), chitinous layer (CHI), and the electron-dense parietal coating (EdPC). Fluorescence microscopy showed the calcein's high affinity for the eggshell and polar plugs, while the DAPI distinctly stained the L1 larval cells. Using confocal microscopy and 3D modeling, we quantified an average of 151 larval cells. TEM of high-pressure frozen and freeze-substituted samples revealed that the PO and the EdPC layers lacked sublayers, while the CHI layer was composed of 12–14 sublayers. The CHI also contained continuous distinct organization structure forming the polar plugs. The combination of different sample fixation methods and advanced imaging techniques was crucial for revealing structural details of both the eggshell and L1 larva, including the arrangement of cells, cuticle, and an anterior pointed structure. These findings provide deeper insights into the structural biology of <em>T. muris</em> and offer valuable information for advancing parasite control strategies in both human and veterinary context.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12117,"journal":{"name":"Experimental parasitology","volume":"271 ","pages":"Article 108924"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143540744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}