Structural and cytochemical changes in the salivary glands of the Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (CANESTRINI, 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae) tick female during feeding.
This study describes the morphology of salivary glands of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus female ticks at beginning of feeding (24-48 h of attachment) and semi-engorged (4-5 days of attachment) to verify the degenerative characteristics of these organs and the secretory phase in which the process begins. At the beginning of feeding, secretion granules had been observed only in the cytoplasm of cells b, c1, c2, c4 (type II acinus) and d (type III acinus), as well as large nuclei with regular and preserved morphology. In the semi-engorged females the acini presented few normal cells, few partially preserved ones, and the remaining ones in several stages of degeneration, that is, with retraction and cytoplasmic vacuolization, and nuclei with chromatin in several stages of condensation, picnotic and/or in fragmentation. In type I acinus and in the excretory ducts of the studied glands, at both feeding stages, no degenerative characteristic was observed. In females of R. (B.) microplus, the salivary glands degenerate asynchronically and precociously when compared with those of others tick's species.
Nunes
Erika Takagi
ET
Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências-UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Cx. Postal 199, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil. erikatnunes@yahoo.com.br
Mathias
Maria Izabel Camargo
MI
Bechara
Gervásio Henrique
GH
D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D048494:Rhipicephalus; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000662:veterinary