Search results for "Parasite"
showing 10 items of 827 documents
Intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Tenerife, Spain.
2015
The nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the causative agent of human angiostrongy- liasis, the main clinical manifestation of which is eosinophilic meningitis. Although this para- site has been found recently in its definitive rat host in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), showing a widespread distribution over the north-east part of the island, there are no avail- able data regarding which snail and/or slug species are acting as intermediate hosts on this island. Consequently, the objective of this work was to determine the possible role of three mollusc species, Plutonia lamarckii , Cornu aspersum and Theba pisana , as intermediate hosts of A . cantonensis in Tenerife. Between 2011 and…
Follow-up trends of parasite community alteration in a marine fish after the Prestige oil-spill: shifting baselines?
2008
This study evaluates the follow-up trends in the composition and structure of the parasite communities in the marine sparid Boops boops after the Prestige oil-spill. A total of 400 fish comprising 11 seasonal samples was analyzed from three impacted localities on the Atlantic coast of Spain. A large number of parasite species was recovered only after the spill thus suggesting a substantial alteration of the marine food webs. Post-spill communities exhibited higher richness and abundance due to the significant changes in the abundance of the common species, the latter indicating accelerated parasite transmission rates. Multivariate analyses at two nested scales detected a directional trend i…
Host specificity of Argulus coregoni (Crustacea: Branchiura) increases at maturation.
2007
SUMMARYWe tested the hypothesis that host specificity in ectoparasites does not depend exclusively on the features of the host but also on surrounding habitats, using 2 fish ectoparasites, Argulus coregoni and A. foliaceus (Crustacea: Branchiura), occurring sympatrically in Finnish lakes. Although these parasites are considered to be of low specificity, we found that the larger of the 2 species, A. coregoni developed a pronounced preference for salmonid hosts at the beginning of maturation (defined by the presence of copulating specimens). Argulus foliaceus infects a much wider range of fish hosts. We showed that specialization of A. coregoni on salmonids does not necessarily result from in…
In Vitro and In Vivo Antimalarial Activity Assays of Seeds from Balanites aegyptiaca: Compounds of the Extract Show Growth Inhibition and Activity ag…
2011
Balanites aegyptiaca(Balanitaceae) is a widely grown desert plant with multiuse potential. In the present paper, a crude extract fromB. aegyptiacaseeds equivalent to a ratio of 1 : 2000 seeds to the extract was screened for antiplasmodial activity. The determined IC50value for the chloroquine-susceptiblePlasmodium falciparumNF54 strain was 68.26 . Analysis of the extract by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detected 6-phenyl-2(H)-1,2,4-triazin-5-one oxime, an inhibitor of the parasitic M18 Aspartyl Aminopeptidase as one of the compounds which is responsible for thein vitroantiplasmodial activity. The crude plant extract had a of 2.35 and showed a dose-dependent response. After depletion…
Tick Salivary Sialostatin L Represses the Initiation of Immune Responses by Targeting IRF4-Dependent Transcription in Murine Mast Cells
2015
Abstract Coevolution of ticks and the vertebrate immune system has led to the development of immunosuppressive molecules that prevent immediate response of skin-resident immune cells to quickly fend off the parasite. In this article, we demonstrate that the tick-derived immunosuppressor sialostatin L restrains IL-9 production by mast cells, whereas degranulation and IL-6 expression are both unaffected. In addition, the expression of IL-1β and IRF4 is strongly reduced in the presence of sialostatin L. Correspondingly, IRF4- or IL-1R–deficient mast cells exhibit a strong impairment in IL-9 production, demonstrating the importance of IRF4 and IL-1 in the regulation of the Il9 locus in mast cel…
From attachment to damage: defined genes of Candida albicans mediate adhesion, invasion and damage during interaction with oral epithelial cells.
2010
Candida albicans frequently causes superficial infections by invading and damaging epithelial cells, but may also cause systemic infections by penetrating through epithelial barriers. C. albicans is an unusual pathogen because it can invade epithelial cells via two distinct mechanisms: induced endocytosis, analogous to facultative intracellular enteropathogenic bacteria, and active penetration, similar to plant pathogenic fungi. Here we investigated the molecular basis of C. albicans epithelial interactions. By systematically assessing the contributions of defined fungal pathways and factors to different stages of epithelial interactions, we provide an expansive portrait of the processes an…
African trypanosomes expressing multiple VSGs are rapidly eliminated by the host immune system
2019
Significance Many parasites escape the host immune system by undergoing antigenic variation, a process in which surface antigens are regularly shed and replaced by new ones. Trypanosoma brucei employs multiple sophisticated molecular mechanisms to ensure the expression of a homogeneous VSG coat. We generated a mutant parasite that expresses multiple distinct VSGs and studied the consequences of having a multi-VSG coat during an infection. We showed that expression of multiple VSGs makes the parasites more vulnerable to the immune response, which can now control the trypanosomes from the onset of the infection, allowing most mice to survive. In the future, trypanosome infections may be treat…
In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial and trypanocidal studies of new N-benzene- and N-naphthalenesulfonamide derivatives.
2013
We report in vivo and in vitro antileishmanial and trypanocidal activities of a new series of N-substituted benzene and naphthalenesulfonamides 1-15. Compounds 1-15 were screened in vitro against Leishmania infantum , Leishmania braziliensis , Leishmania guyanensis , Leishmania amazonensis , and Trypanosoma cruzi . Sulfonamides 6e, 10b, and 10d displayed remarkable activity and selectivity toward T. cruzi epimastigotes and amastigotes. 6e showed significant trypanocidal activity on parasitemia in a murine model of acute Chagas disease. Moreover, 6e, 8c, 9c, 12c, and 14d displayed interesting IC50 values against Leishmania spp promastigotes as well as L. amazonensis and L. infantum amastigot…
Metazoan parasites in meagre and gilthead seabream aquaculture: monogeneans, from biology to infection management
2021
Pathologies represent a relevant bottleneck for aquaculture development and must be taken into account in the selection of potential species for diversification. Determining pathogens affecting new and traditional cultured species as well as their potential impacts on fish health becomes essential for optimising the development and viability of fish productions. Among pathogens, monoxenous metazoans, such as platyhelminth monogeneans, have a marked influence on fish health, especially in aquaculture where they cause significant economic losses in the main fish-farming industries. Population dynamics in host-parasite systems are modulated by environmental conditions. Therefore, effective man…
Parasites of Diplodus puntazzo in Western Mediterranean: Morphological, developmental and host-parasite relationships of monogeneans
2014
En España la acuicultura ha experimentado un gran crecimiento durante el pasado siglo, sin embargo, durante los últimos años se ha producido una disminución en la producción de las especies de cultivo más importantes, como la dorada, la lubina y el rodaballo (APROMAR, 2011). Esta situación ha supuesto la primera reducción en la producción de los últimos 25 años. Por este motivo, los productores españoles apuestan por la recuperación de la productividad y el aumento de la competitividad en el mercado y, para poder llevar a cabo estas mejoras, uno de los objetivos marcados es diversificar las especies cultivadas (APROMAR, 2011). En el Mediterráneo español, una de las especies candidatas para …