title: Meriones meridianus and Lagurus lagurus as alternative definitive hosts of Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus.
abstract: The utilization of Meriones meridianus and Lagurus lagurus as alternative definitive hosts for Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus was investingated. Tapeworm stage development of E. multilocularis was observed and their recovery rate was determined in the small intestine of M. meridianus and L. lagurus. These were compared with those in golden hamsters, which are known as alternative definitive hosts. The animals were treated with PTBA (prednisolone tertiary butylacetate) and PA (prednisolone acetate), after which M. meridianus showed the highest recovery rate, whereas L. lagurus had few or no worms. The recovery rate of worms from golden hamsters was between those of M. meridianus and L. lagurus. On day 20 post-infection, developing tapeworms with mature segments were collected from M. meridianus treated with PA. The worms were mostly from the proximal and medial small intestine. The three species of animals infected orally with E. granulosus were divided into two groups, PTBA-treated and non-treated control groups. PTBA promoted/enhanced the recovery rate of the worms until 5 days, but none or only a few worms were found in PTBA treated animals thereafter. The highest recovery rate was obtained from M. meridianus treated with PTBA on day 5 post-infection. Some worm developments were observed on days 5 and 10 post-infection. These results demonstrate that M. meridianus could be useful as an alternative definitive host of Echinococcus.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuzaburo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.forename: Jiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: June-Jie
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Isrsayil
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Li-fu
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asakawa
authors.forename: Katsuro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Kimio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Mamor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000469:parasitology; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus / Q000469:parasitology; D009115:Muridae / Q000469:parasitology*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C009021:prednisolone tebutate; C009935:prednisolone acetate; D011239:Prednisolone