ISSN 1392-2130. VETERINARIJA IR ZOOTECHNIKA. T. 29 (51). 2005 THE INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT ANTHELMINTICS ON THE INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL TISSUE OF TOXOCARA CANIS (NEMATODA) Rasa Aukštikalnienė1, Ona Kublickienė1, Antanas Vyšniauskas2 1Vilnius University, M. K. Čiurlionio 21/27, LT-03101, Vilnius, Lithuania tel. +370 52398270 e-mail: [email protected] 2Laboratory for Parasitology, Veterinary Institute of Lithuania Veterinary Academy, Mokslininkų 12, Vilnius, LT–08662, tel. +370 52729727 Summary. Twenty-five puppies naturally infected with Toxocara canis were selected by faecal egg counts for the experiment. Five of them were treated with pyrantel pamoate (14.4 mg/kg BW), five – with albendazole (30 mg/kg BW), five – with levamisole (7.5 mg/kg BW) and five – with nitroskanate (50 mg/kg BW), respectively, and remaining five puppies were served as untreated control. For histological and histochemical investigation all excreted nematodes were collected and the standard technique for investigation of intestinal epithelial tissue was used. The epithelial tissue of T. canis intestine under the action of pyrantel pamoate and nitroscanate changed significantly. The changes were expressed by the appearance of vacuoles in the cytoplasm and by a total disintegration of intestinal epithelial cells. Under the influence of albendazole and levamisole the changes of enterocytes were less significant. The swelling of basal membrane, toddle cytoplasm and blending of fibers in the apical cytoplasm of epithelial cells were registered. The glycogen inclusions and neutral lipids in treated tissue under the action of all used anthelmintics have changed. After treatment with pyrantel pamoate, albendazole and nitroscanate the accumulation of the glycogen deposits in enterocytes lowered gradually and finally dissapeared . Further, after treatment with levamisole the glicogen deposits from enterocytes dissapeared, however, a distinct positive PAS reaction was repeatedly observed at the end of experiment. After anthelmintic treatment was registered a distinct infiltration of the neutral lipids in the epithelial cells of T. canis intestine. It should be mentioned, that significant accumulations of neutral lipids were observed after treatment with albendazole. The significant fat dystrophy was expressed by a number of fat agregates that fulfilled the cell cytoplasm. Basing on the obtained data it was concluded that anthelmintic treatment caused significant micro- morphological changes in the epithelial tissue of T. canis intestine and destroyed the metabolism of glycogen and neutral lipids. Moreover, highly significant degeneration was noted under the action of pyrantel pamoate and nitroscanate. Keywords: Toxocara canis, histology of nematodes, glycogen, neutral lipids, pyrantel pamoate, albendazole, levamisole, nitroscanate. KAI KURIŲ ANTIHELMINTIKŲ POVEIKIO TOXOCARA CANIS (NEMATODA) ŽARNOS EPITELIUI TYRIMAI Santrauka. Straipsnyje pateikti šunų nematodų Toxocara canis žarnos epitelinio audinio tyrimų rezultatai, gauti po šuniukų gydymo skirtingais antihelmintiniais preparatais. Penki eksperimentiniai šuniukai buvo gydyti pirantelio pamoatu (14,4 mg/kg), penki - albendazoliu (30 mg/kg), penki - levamizoliu (7,5 mg/kg) ir penki - nitroskanatu (50 mg/kg). Penki užsikrėtę nematodais šuniukai nebuvo dehelmintizuoti, iš jų plonojo žarnyno surinkti nematodai buvo panaudoti kontroliniams tyrimams. Visi surinkti nematodai analizei buvo paruošti taikant standartinius histologijos ir histochemijos metodus. Tirtų T. canis žarnos epitelis ženkliai pakito veikiamas pirantelio pamoato ir nitroskanato. Pokyčiai pasireiškė gausiomis vakuolėmis enterocituose eksperimento pradžioje ir visišku epitelinių ląstelių suirimu eksperimento pabaigoje. Albendazolio bei levamizolio poveikis nematodų žarnos struktūroms nebuvo toks ryškus ir pasireiškė pamatinės membranos išbrinkimu, citoplazmos drumstumu ir mikrofilamentų sulipimu enterocitų apikalinėje dalyje. Glikogeno intarpai ir neutraliųjų lipidų sankaupos tirtame nematodų audinyje pakito veikiami visų taikytų antihelmintikų. Pirantelio pamoato, albendazolio ir nitroskanato veikiami glikogeno intarpai enterocituose mažėjo nuosekliai, iki visiškai išnyko. Neigiama PAS reakcija nustatyta ir veikiant levamizoliui, tačiau šio eksperimento pabaigoje nematodų enterocituose glikogeno intarpai vėl buvo gausūs. Tirti antihelmintikai T. canis nematodų žarnos epitelyje sukėlė ryškią riebalinę infiltraciją, kuri pasireiškė gausiais riebaliniais lašeliais, užpildančiais visą ląstelių citoplazmą. Itin gausios, laikinos neutraliųjų lipidų sankaupos buvo nustatytos veikiant albendazoliui. Apibendrinant tyrimų rezultatus galima teigti, kad veikiant antihelmintikams pakito ne tik T. canis žarnos epitelinės dangos mikrostruktūra, bet ir glikogeno bei neutraliųjų lipidų metabolizmas. Itin ženkli šio audinio degeneracija nustatyta veikiant pirantelio pamoatui ir nitroskanatui. Raktažodžiai: Toxocara canis, nematodų histologija, glikogenas, neutralieji lipidai, pirantelis, albendazolis, levamizolis, nitroskanatas. 9 ISSN 1392-2130. VETERINARIJA IR ZOOTECHNIKA. T. 29 (51). 2005 Introduction. One of the most important objects of experimental puppies was pre-determined by coproscopic modern parasitology is a detailed micro morphological examinations applying standard Fulleborn method. investigation of the helminthes tissues. This kind of 20 experimental puppies were treated with pyrantel investigation is important not only in searching the pamoate, albendazole, levamisole, order nitroscanate. answers about parasite systematic and phylogeny. So they Standard therapeutic doses of the pyrantel pamoate (14.4 have a wide biological meaning, explaining the mg/kg), albendazole (30 mg/kg), levamisole (7.5 mg/kg), complicated aspects of host-parasite relationship. The order nitroscanate (50 mg/kg) were used. Five infected results of micro morphological investigations form the puppies were left untreated. base for the further physiological and biochemical Pyrantel pamoate, albendazole, levamisole, order examinations of helminthes. The data concerning the nitroscanate were administered to each puppy micro morphology of helminthes is necessary for individually. 96 hours onset the anthelmintic treatment we explaining the action of anthelmintic on the organism of a observed the behaviour of puppies, their appetite and parasite. defecation. We collected their feces and examined them The tissues of many nematodes (Nematoda, with respect to T. canis helminthes also. All alive (that Ascaridida) are thoroughly investigated. It is worth were moving order were twisted) nematodes were quickly mentioning the fundamental works of A. Bird and J. Bird washed in saline solution, divided into two parts (for the (1991), J. Bogojavlenskis (Богоявленский, 1998), K. fixative material quicker reaches all tissues) and Wright (1987) and others, which present the results of immediately fixed in 10% neutral formaldehyde for micro morphological investigations of the nematode microstructure and neutral lipids examination and in tissues from that order. The great importance while Karnua solution for glycogen deposits examination. All investigating the microstructure of nematodes was (treated and control) puppies were euthanised at the 96th attached to Ascaris, Parascaris, Nippostrongylus, hour post treatment. T. canis nematodes from untreated Trichuris, Trichinella and to the representatives from puppies were collected and fixed the same way for the other genus. However, nematodes from the Toxocara control histological and histochemical investigation of genus were less investigated (Рачковская, 1985; their intestinal epithelium. Mackenstedt et al., 1993; Bruňanská, 1997). Fixed T. canis fragments were prepared standard for Toxocara canis primarily is a dog parasite, whose histological investigation and were stained according to larva causes visceral larva migrans, the infection standard hematoxylin and eosin principles. Some of sometimes being referred to as toxocariasis. Ingesting washed from formaldehyde helminthes were not infective eggs of T. canis infects humans. The larvae, dehydrated for the neutral lipid examination. These which hatch in the gut, migrate through the tissues and fragments were cut using refrigerating microtome and become trapped in the lungs, liver, eyes and other organs. cuts were stained according to Sudan III-IV reaction. For It is especially dangerous for children since they get the histochemical examination of glycogen in Karnua fixed inflammations of lungs, liver and eyes, the central helminthes were dehydrated in graded alcohol and nervous system can be destroyed as well. Therefore the embedded in paraffin. Semi thin sections were stained micro morphological investigations of T. canis tissues according periodic acid- Schiff (PAS) stain. side by side with a wild biological meaning are also Results. The results showed the control T. canis important in the applied aspect, evaluating the order of intestinal epithelial tissue structure is similar to that from other nematocides’ action on the parasites and on their Ascaridida order (Aukštikalnienė et al., 2000). individual tissues. However the influence of nematocides Enterocytes lied on the distinct basal membrane, were on T. canis tissues in vivo is studied insufficiently. more or less cylindrical and formed rather long microvilli. The importance of the above-mentioned questions The interior of these cells was closely filled with prompted us to undertake the researches on micro microfilaments and few granules