Survival, strobilation and sexual maturation of Echinococcus multilocularis in the small intestine of golden hamsters.
Echinococcus multilocularis survived, strobilated and matured sexually in the small intestine of 6-week-old male golden hamsters that were either non-treated or treated with prednisolone tertiary-butylacetate (PTBA), following oral administration of 20 000 protoscoleces. Non-treated hamsters harboured the adult worms for up to 25 days post-infection (p.i.). Hamsters treated with PTBA from the day of infection (day 0 p.i.) harboured more adults than the non-treated, and their survival periods were extended. Moreover, a remarkable improvement in worm recovery, development and survival periods was observed in hamsters additionally treated with PTBA on days -- 14 and -- 12 p.i., and the worm development including proglottisation, sexual maturation and egg formation was comparable with that in dogs. With the present results it is suggested that Echinococcus/rodent systems represented by the E. multilocularis/golden hamsters may rejuvenate the current stagnant research on host-parasite interactions of the definitive host-stage and egg-stage of Echinococcus.
Kamiya
M
M
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Sato
H
H
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D012741:Sexual Maturation
C009021:prednisolone tebutate; D011239:Prednisolone