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Blood-feeding in the young adult filarial worms Litomosoides sigmodontis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2004

T. ATTOUT ,
S. BABAYAN ,
A. HOERAUF ,
D. W. TAYLOR ,
W. J. KOZEK ,
C. MARTIN  and
O. BAIN
T. ATTOUT
Affiliation:
Parasitologie Comparée et Modèles expérimentaux, associé à l'INSERM (U567), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, 61 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
S. BABAYAN
Affiliation:
Parasitologie Comparée et Modèles expérimentaux, associé à l'INSERM (U567), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, 61 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France Present address: ICAPB, Ashworth Laboratories, University of Edinburgh, West Main Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT UK.
A. HOERAUF
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Parasitology, University Clinic Bonn, Sigmund-Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany
D. W. TAYLOR
Affiliation:
Centre for Infectious Diseases, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin Midlothian, Scotland, UK
W. J. KOZEK
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00936-5067, USA
C. MARTIN
Affiliation:
Parasitologie Comparée et Modèles expérimentaux, associé à l'INSERM (U567), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, 61 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France Present address: Leukocyte Biology/Biochemical Sciences Division, Imperial College School of Medicine, Sir Alexander Fleming Bdg, South Kensington, SW7 2AZ London, UK.
O. BAIN
Affiliation:
Parasitologie Comparée et Modèles expérimentaux, associé à l'INSERM (U567), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, 61 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
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Abstract

In this study with the filarial model Litomosoides sigmodontis, we demonstrate that the worms ingest host red blood cells at a precise moment of their life-cycle, immediately after the fourth moult. The red blood cells (RBC) were identified microscopically in live worms immobilized in PBS at 4 °C, and their density assessed. Two hosts were used: Mongolian gerbils, where microfilaraemia is high, and susceptible BALB/c mice with lower microfilaraemia. Gerbils were studied at 12 time-points, between day 9 post-inoculation (the worms were young 4th stage larvae) and day 330 p.i. (worms were old adults). Only the very young adult filarial worms had red blood cells in their gut. Haematophagy was observed between days 25 and 56 p.i. and peaked between day 28 and day 30 p.i. in female worms. In males, haematophagy was less frequent and intense. Similar kinetics of haematophagy were found in BALB/c mice, but frequency and intensity tended to be lower. Haematophagy seems useful to optimize adult maturation. These observations suggest that haematophagy is an important step in the life-cycle of L. sigmodontis. This hitherto undescribed phenomenon might be characteristic of other filarial species including human parasites.

Keywords

filariaLitomosoides sigmodontishaematophagy
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 130 , Issue 4 , April 2005 , pp. 421 - 428
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

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