Abstract
The passage of Trichobilharzia szidati schistosomula through the vertebrate lungs was examined in natural and abnormal hosts—birds (ducks Anas platyrhynchos f. domestica) and mammals (mice Mus musculus Bagg albino/c [BALB/c]), respectively. Using the methods of classical histology, the migratory route of worms was characterized, and the impact of migration on host tissues and the host cell reactions were evaluated. Living schistosomula were recorded in the lungs of ducks 2–10 days post infection (p.i.) and in the lungs of mice 2–4 days p.i. In ducks, the schistosomula migrated from the blood vessels through the blood capillaries to the lung tissue; then, they entered free air space of the lungs. The infection resulted in inflammatory reaction with nodules composed of infiltrated lymphocytes, heterophils, eosinophils and macrophages. These structures were formed around the blood vessels and in the gas-exchange tissues of the parabronchial walls and, consequently, in the walls of secondary bronchi. An extensive inflammation of secondary bronchi and parabronchi was observed. In the lungs of mice, the parasites were localized extravascularly in the alveolar walls. No migratory pattern similar to that in the lungs of ducks was recorded. No specific inflammatory reaction occurred. However, alveolar wall congestion, edema and lymphocyte infiltrates appeared and, therefore, pathogenicity of T. szidati was also confirmed in the murine host.
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Notes
The strain of T. ocellata used by Bourns et al. (1973) was isolated from L. stagnalis in Ontario, Canada. Haas and Pietsch (1991) used T. ocellata isolated from Höchstadt, Germany. The European T. ocellata corresponds with T. szidati Neuhaus, 1952, but the North American isolates are probably not identical with T. ocellata/T. szidati from Europe (Rudolfová et al. 2005).
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Acknowledgement
The authors thank Dr. František Čada for his help with interpretation of histopathology findings.
The work has been supported by the Czech Ministry of Education (MSM 0021620828 and MSM LC06009)
The authors declare that the all the experiments reported in present study comply with the current laws of Czech Republic and EU.
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Chanová, M., Vuong, S. & Horák, P. Trichobilharzia szidati: the lung phase of migration within avian and mammalian hosts. Parasitol Res 100, 1243–1247 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0398-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0398-2