title: Animal Models for Echinostoma malayanum Infection: Worm Recovery and Some Pathology.
abstract: Echinostomes are intestinal trematodes that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including humans, in their adult stage and also parasitize numerous invertebrate and cold-blooded vertebrate hosts in their larval stages. The purpose of this study was to compare Echinostoma malayanum parasite growth, including worm recovery, body size of adult worms, eggs per worm, eggs per gram of feces, and pathological changes in the small intestine of experimental animals. In this study, 6-8-week-old male hamsters, rats, mice, and gerbils were infected with echinostome metacercariae and then sacrificed at day 60 post-infection. The small intestine and feces of each infected animal were collected and then processed for analysis. The results showed that worm recovery, eggs per worm, and eggs per gram of feces from all infected hamsters were higher compared with infected rats and mice. However, in infected gerbils, no parasites were observed in the small intestine, and there were no parasite eggs in the feces. The volume of eggs per gram of feces and eggs per worm were related to parasite size. The results of histopathological changes in the small intestine of infected groups showed abnormal villi and goblet cells, as evidenced by short villi and an increase in the number and size of goblet cells compared with the normal control group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Neglected Zoonosis and Vector-Borne Disease Group, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Jiraporn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Songsri
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Neglected Zoonosis and Vector-Borne Disease Group, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Sakonnakhon Campus, Sakonnakhon 47160, Thailand.
authors.forename: Ratchadawan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aukkanimart
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Neglected Zoonosis and Vector-Borne Disease Group, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thidarut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boonmars
authors.affiliation: Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Sakonnakhon Campus, Sakonnakhon 47160, Thailand.
authors.forename: Panaratana
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ratanasuwan
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Neglected Zoonosis and Vector-Borne Disease Group, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Porntip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laummaunwai
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Neglected Zoonosis and Vector-Borne Disease Group, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Rajamangala University of Technology Isan Sakonnakhon Campus, Sakonnakhon 47160, Thailand.
authors.forename: Pranee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sriraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand ; Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Panupan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sripan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004449:Echinostoma / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D004451:Echinostomiasis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D010270:Parasite Egg Count
keywords: Echinostoma malayanum; animal model; echinostome; histopathology; small intestine