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At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

A new species of Trichodina (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) from the intestine of the surgeonfish Acanthurus xanthopterus.

A population of a trichodinid (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) was found in the gut of the surgeonfish Acanthurus xanthopterus collected from Hawaii, South Africa and New Guinea and described as a new species. This is only the second record of a trichodinid from the intestine of a marine fish. In all the fish specimens examined, the micro-fauna normally found in other species of the fish family. Acanthuridae was absent and replaced entirely by the trichodinid population.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Ciliated protozoa in the colonic wall of horses.

Ciliated protozoa of several morphological types were found in the colonic tissue of 8 horses, mostly immature Standardbreds. Most of the protozoa observed appeared similar to those normally found as commensals in the equine large intestinal lumen. In all cases, organisms were located in the lamina propria; organisms were also found in the submucosa of 2 horses. The association of colonic disease with the presence of intramural ciliates was unclear.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Neosporosis in the aborted fetus and newborn calf.

Protozoal encephalitic lesions were found in four aborted fetuses and one dead newborn calf. The organism was identified as Neospora caninum by immunoperoxidase. The brain lesions were of two forms. One was observed in three fetuses of 5 months gestation and was characterized by multifocal necrosis. The other was found in a 7-month fetus and in a newborn calf, and showed severe infiltration with macrophages and plasma cells containing IgG. This association, between the age of fetus and inflammation, may reflect development of the immune system in bovine fetuses.

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1994

Use of Vernonia amygdalina by wild chimpanzee: possible roles of its bitter and related constituents.

Bitter principles and related constituents have been isolated from Vernonia amygdalina (Compositae), a plant ingested by wild chimpanzees sometimes suffering from parasite-related diseases in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. These isolated constituents were the known sesquiterpene lactones (vernodalin, vernolide, hydroxyvernolide), and new stigmastane-type steroid glucosides (vernonioside A1-A4: for bitter tasting constituents and vernonioside B1-B3; for nonbitter related constituents). Antiparasitic activity tests of these constituents together with quantitative analyses of the major active constituents, vernodalin and vernonioside B1, supported the hypothesis that Mahale chimpanzees control parasite-related diseases by ingesting the pith of this plant, found to contain several steroid-related constituents. While the major active steroid-related constituents (vernonioside B1 and its primary aglycone, vernoniol B1) do not taste bitter themselves, it was hypothesized that the highly bitter constituents including vernodalin may play an important role as signals to the ingester guiding their choice of the appropriate plant, plant part, and possibly also as signals which help to control the amount of intake.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Immunoglobulin levels of the winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and the summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) injected with the microsporidan parasite Glugea stephani.

The microsporidan parasite G. stephani, has been found in the intestine of the American winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus. A quantitative study of total serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels has shown that an injection of this parasitic spore causes a decrease in serum IgM levels. The level of suppression seems to be related to the number of spores injected into the host, as well as the frequency of injections administered. As the dosage of spores injected into the winter flounder increased from 3 X 10(3)/ml to 3 X 10(8)/ml, the level of serum IgM's decreased proportionally. When a single IM injection of spores (3 X 10(6)/ml) was administered, the initial decrease in serum IgM was followed by a gradual recovery of total Ig levels by day 60. Repeated injections of G. stephani on days 21 and 42 respectively, causes an even greater decrease in total IgM levels. Indomethacin (a drug that inhibits prostaglandin activity), has been shown to negate the decrease in IgM levels caused by the G. stephani spores. When injected twice weekly, the indomethacin inhibited the decrease in serum IgM caused by the spore homogenate, with IgM levels comparable to those observed in control WF. This supports previous observations, that prostaglandins are implicated in the decrease in IgM levels induced by injection of the parasite. The effects of G. stephani on serum Ig levels does not seem to be species-specific. When the spores were injected into summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) together with an erythrocyte antigen, horse red blood cells (HRBC), a decrease in total IgM levels occurred, as well as a decrease in hemagglutination titers to HRBC similar to the decrease described in winter flounder.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Acquired and innate resistance to the haemoflagellate cryptobia salmositica in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka).

Juvenile sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka, Fulton River stock) were protected from otherwise lethal challenges with the haemoflagellate Cryptobia salmositica by acclimation to elevated water temperatures (20 degrees C). Fish treated in this manner displayed increased immunity to C. salmositica and yielded plasma showing enhanced lytic activity against the parasite. The acquired lytic activity was antibody- and complement-mediated. In contrast, a stock of naive O. nerka from Weaver Creek, previously identified as having a high innate resistance to the lethal effects of C. salmositica, also had plasma factors that destroyed the parasite in vitro. This anti-Cryptobia activity also involved complement because 1) it resulted in lysis of the parasite, 2) it was heat-labile (40 degrees C for 20 min), and 3) it was largely removed from the plasma by substances capable of activating (binding) complement by the classical pathway (an antigen:antibody complex of Renibacterium salmoninarum and its specific antibody) and the alternate pathway (Escherichia coli lipopolyssacharide). The complement-mediated lysis associated with innate resistance was apparently the result of activation by the alternate pathway because it occurred in fish lacking antibodies against the parasite. The reaction was unusual in that a long incubation period (about 2 days) was required for maximum lysis of the parasite. At least one component of the innate lytic system depended on disulphide bonds because lytic activity was destroyed by 2-mercaptoethanol.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The immune response of a marine teleost, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, (winter flounder) to the protozoan parasite Glugea stephani.

G. stephani is an intracellular cyst-forming microsporidan parasite that is found in the intestine of winter flounder (WF) Pseudopleuronectes americanus. No detectable humoral response was seen in parasitized fish or in fish injected with either spores or spore homogenate from this parasite. Quantification of total immunoglobulin (Ig) levels showed a decrease in Ig levels rather than enhancement, 21 days after intramuscular (IM) injections of spores (3 X 10(6)/ml). When a second injection of spores was administered on day 21 and tested 3 weeks later, a further decrease in total serum Ig's occurred. A decrease in total IgM levels also occurred in WF that were simultaneously injected with G. stephani and the antigens, horse red blood cells (HRBC) or formalin-killed Klebsiella pneumonia (KP). The total Ig levels of fish injected with an antigen plus spores was not as low as those injected with the parasite alone. The Ig levels, as well as antibody titers to HRBC and KP were however, lower when compared to fish injected only with the HRBC or bacteria. Disrupted spore homogenate injected into winter flounder, showed a less marked decrease in Ig levels when compared with whole spores. When a single IM injection of spores was given, followed by two weekly injections of indomethacin (a drug that inhibits prostaglandin activity), no decrease in Ig levels occurred and levels were comparable to control (saline injected) fish.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Effects of inoculum route and dose on the immune response of common carp, Cyprinus carpio to the blood parasite, Trypanoplasma borreli.

Carp were inoculated intramuscularly (im) or intraperitoneally (ip) with different doses of live Trypanoplasma borreli. Prepatent period was shortened by using the im route and by increasing the dose. Haematocrit was reduced following im inoculation with 9.5 x 10(5) parasites. Most fish recovered between 8 and 13 weeks post-inoculation (wpi). Neither parasitaemia nor anaemia was detected in any recovered fish following homologous challenge. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed to quantitate antibody response elicited by the parasite. Antibody levels rose rapidly during the first 4 wpi. The response elicited by increased dose was significantly higher only at 4 wpi. Route of exposure did not affect antibody response. Peak responses coincided with decline and eventual absence of parasitaemia.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1993

IgM and IgA rheumatoid factors in canine polyarthritis.

IgM and IgA rheumatoid factor (RF) were detected by ELISA using a purified dog IgG as antigen in normal controls (N = 84), dogs with unclassified polyarthritis (N = 95), dogs with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (N = 22), dogs with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (N = 35), dogs with leishmaniasis or heart worm disease (N = 20) and dogs with pyometra (N = 16). Frequency and titre of IgM and IgA RF are low and comparable (P < 0.05) in dogs with unclassified polyarthritis or RA: respectively 24.2% and 27.3% for IgM RF and 21.0% and 18.2% for IgA RF; the mean titre being respectively 0.781 +/- 0.581 and 0.649 +/- 0.365 for IgM RF, and 0.774 +/- 1.331 and 0.740 +/- 1.169 for IgA RF. The frequencies of IgM and IgA RF are a little higher in dogs with SLE (IgM RF: 37.1%, IgA RF: 25.7%) and higher in dogs with leishmaniasis or heart worm disease (45.0% and 30.0%), especially in dogs with pyometra (68.7% and 37.5%). So, although dogs can produce IgM and IgA RF, these auto-antibodies are uncommon in dogs with RA. Furthermore, when RF are present their titre is much lower than in human RA.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Application of hybridoma technology to the diagnosis of parasitic disease.

Recent applications of hybridoma-derived monoclonal antibodies to the diagnosis of parasitic disease are reviewed. Diagnostic tests, utilizing monoclonal antibodies, have included radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques to detect parasite antigen in host tissues and body fluids and circulating host antiparasite antibody. In general, the use of monoclonal-derived reagents has greatly increased the specificity of diagnosis by eliminating cross-reactions between closely related parasite species, without suffering a significant loss of sensitivity.

Animals↗