acid-phosphatase and Ascariasis

The material consisted of 20 male guinea pigs of body weight 300 +/- 50 g. Fifteen of them were infected per os with a dose of 5000 invasive eggs of A. suum. At the 4th, 7th and 20th days of infection the animals were dissected and sections of kidney were taken for histopathological and histochemical studies. The sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The presence of mucopolisachcarides was detected with the paS method, the activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases--with Gomori's method. At the 4th and 7th day of infection an active congestion of the kidney, dilation of blood vessels and changes in the size of epithelial cells of proximal concoluted tubules were observed. The epithelium of the tubules was high, often closing their lumen. Moreover, at the 7th day of infection small ecchymosis was noted. On the sections stained with the paS method a distinct thickening of the basement membrane of the parietal lamellat of Bowman sac was found at the 4th and 7th day of infection, as well as a weaker staining of brush border in main parts of nephrons. A tightening of the vasculary loop of some glomeruli was also noted at the 7th day. At the 20th day of the experiment changes were observed only in single glomeruli in the vasculary loop. At the 4th day of infection an increase in the activity of the acid and alkaline phosphatases was observed in the kidney, followed by a decrease in the activity of both these enzymes at the 7th and 20th day.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase; Animals; Ascariasis; Glycosaminoglycans; Guinea Pigs; Histocytochemistry; Kidney; Male; Staining and Labeling

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Adenosine Triphosphatases; Alkaline Phosphatase; Animals; Ascariasis; Glucose-6-Phosphatase; Guinea Pigs; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Intestine, Small; Male; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Adrenal Cortex; Alkaline Phosphatase; Animals; Ascariasis; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; Guinea Pigs; Lipid Metabolism; Male; NADH Tetrazolium Reductase

The effect of in vivo treatment with mebendazole on the ultrastructural morphology of Ascaris suum intestine was investigated. Pigs, infected with A. suum, were fed ad libitum a medicated food containing mebendazole at a concentration of 30 ppm. Control and treated animals were killed 6, 9, 15, and 24 hr after the onset of feeding. The parasites were quickly collected from the pig intestinal tract and prepared for ultrastructural and cytochemical examination. Absence of secretory granules in the terminal web, accumulation of secretory granules in the Golgi region, formation of autophagic vacuoles in the apical cell part, and loss of glycogen were the characteristic changes observed after 6 and 9 hr of treatment. Degenerative changes were very pronounced after 15 and 24 hr and involved almost the entire cytoplasm. Microvilli were decreased in number and appeared swollen in the majority of absorptive cells. Some more severely altered cells were completely devoid of microvilli. Cytochemistry revealed that the accumulated secretory granules in the Golgi area contained glycoproteins or polysaccharides. Microvilli, lysosomes, and Golgi apparatus were reactive for acid phosphatase in the control intestinal cells. After treatment, the enzyme activity was localized in numerous autophagic vacuoles, whereas the secretory granules remained unstained. The acid phosphatase activity in the microvilli decreased or was completely absent. The possible significance of these modifications in view of mebendazole's anthelmintic activity is discussed.

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Animals; Anthelmintics; Ascariasis; Ascaris; Benzimidazoles; Benzoates; Carbamates; Cytoplasmic Granules; Glycogen; Glycoproteins; Golgi Apparatus; Histocytochemistry; Intestines; Microscopy, Electron; Swine