title: Ultrastructure, antigenicity, and histochemistry of stichocyte granules of adult Trichinella spiralis.
abstract: The stichosome of adult Trichinella spiralis was studied to determine its ultrastructural, antigenic, and histochemical characteristics. Stichocytes of adult worms had 2 types of granules, type I and type II, the ultrastructure of which was different from those of muscle larvae. Both types of granules consisted of a membrane surrounding a homogeneous matrix, and type I granules were rounder than type II granules. Sera from C3H mice immunized against excretory-secretory products of muscle larvae produced positive immunostaining of type I but not type II granules. Differences in antigenicity were observed between larval and adult stichocyte granules; monoclonal antibodies against alpha-granules of muscle larvae failed to label the adult granules. Azan staining revealed a histochemical difference between larval and adult stichocytes; adult stichocytes stained yellow, whereas larval stichocytes are known to stain red or blue. Thus, the present contribution revealed the existence of 2 distinct types of stichocyte granules in adult T. spiralis and showed them to differ profoundly from those characterized previously in muscle larvae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Nara Medical University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimazu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000032:analysis*; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014234:Trichinella / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth