Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T18:20:06.785Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The first description of eggs in the male reproductive system of Physaloptera bispiculata (Nematoda: Spiruroidaea)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2010

A. Oliveira-Menezes ,
A. Lanfredi-Rangel  and
R.M. Lanfredi
A. Oliveira-Menezes*
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia de Helmintos Otto Wucherer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, s/n Bloco G, CEP 21949-902Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
A. Lanfredi-Rangel
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia de Protozoários e Unidade de Microscopia Eletrônica, Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Muniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, Candeal, Salvador, BahiaCEP 40296-710, Brazil
R.M. Lanfredi
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Biologia de Helmintos Otto Wucherer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, s/n Bloco G, CEP 21949-902Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
*
*Fax: +55 (21) 2280-8193 E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Physaloptera bispiculata (Nematoda: Spiruroidaea) is a parasite of Nectomys squamipes (Rodentia: Cricetidae), a water rat that only occurs in Brazil. Naturally infected rodents were captured in the municipality of Rio Bonito, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Adult P. bispiculata worms were collected, prepared and analysed by light and scanning electron microscopy. Under scanning electron microscopy, several eggs were seen glued by cement to the cloacal aperture. Light microscopy revealed that some male worms had an uncountable number of embryonated eggs in the ejaculatory duct, cloaca and also in the posterior portion of the intestine. The probable explanation is that the eggs developing in the female uterus are pumped by the female or sucked by the male to the cloacal opening and from this point to the intestine and ejaculatory duct. The male probably does not have the ability to expel the eggs and for this reason a large number were found in these organs. On the other hand, this could be an important adaptation for the parasite, i.e. male worms expelled by the host can carry a large number of eggs and spread them to intermediate hosts when ingested by these hosts. As far as we know this is the first record of a physalopterid nematode harbouring eggs in the cloacal region, ejaculatory duct or intestine.

Type
Regular research papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 85 , Issue 2 , June 2011 , pp. 142 - 145
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alden, K.J. (1995) Helminths of the opossum, Didelphis virginiana, in southern Illinois, with a compilation of all helminthes reported from this host in North America. Journal of the Helminthological Society of Washington 62, 197–208.Google Scholar
Blaxter, M.L., De Ley, P., Garey, J.R., Liu, L.X., Scheldeman, P., Vierstraete, A., Vanfleteren, J.R., Mackey, L.Y., Dorris, M. & Frisse, L.M. (1998) A molecular evolutionary framework for the phylum Nematoda. Nature 392, 71–75.Google Scholar
Gray, J.B. & Anderson, R.C. (1982) Development of Turgida turgida (Rudolphi, 1819) in the common field cricket (Acheta pennsylvanica Burmeister). Canadian Journal of Zoology 60, 2134–2142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mafra, A.C. & Lanfredi, R.M. (1998) Reevaluation of Physaloptera bispiculata (Nematoda: Spiruroidea) by light and scanning electron microscopy. Journal of Parasitology 84, 582–588.Google Scholar
Nettles, V.F., Prestwood, A.H. & Davidson, W.R. (1975) Severe parasitism in an opossum. The Journal of Wildlife Diseases 11, 419–420.Google Scholar
Ortlepp, R. (1922) The nematode genus Physaloptera Rud. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 2, 999–1107.Google Scholar
Ortlepp, R. (1937) Some undescribed species of the nematode genus Physaloptera together with key to the sufficiently known forms. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Industry 9, 71–84.Google Scholar
Stunkard, H.W. (1953) Life histories and systematics of parasitic worms. Systematic Zoology 2, 7–18.Google Scholar
Vaz, Z. & Pereira, C. (1935) Some Brazilian nematodes. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society 54, 36–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Widmer, E.A. (1970) Development of third-stage Physaloptera larvae from Crotalus viridis Rafinesque, 1818 in cats with notes on pathology of the larvae in the reptile (Nematoda: Spiruroidea). The Journal of Wildlife Diseases 6, 89–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed