title: Protective responses of intestinal mucous cells in a range of fish-helminth systems.
abstract: Histopathological, immunofluorescence and ultrastructural studies were conducted on the intestines of four fish species infected with different taxa of enteric helminths. Brown trout (Salmo trutta trutta), eel (Anguilla anguilla) and tench (Tinca tinca) obtained from Lake Piediluco (central Italy) were examined. Brown trout and eel were infected with two species of acanthocephalans, and tench was parasitized with a tapeworm species. In addition to the above site, specimens of chub (Squalius cephalus) and brown trout infected with an acanthocephalan were examined from the River Brenta (north Italy). Moreover, eels were examined from a brackish water, Comacchio lagoons (north Italy), where one digenean species was the predominant enteric worm. All the helminths species induced a similar response, the hyperplasia of the intestinal mucous cells, particularly of those secreting acid mucins. Local endocrine signals seemed to affect the production and secretion of mucus in the parasitized fish, as worms often were surrounded by an adherent mucus layer or blanket. This is the first quantitative report of enteric worm effects on the density of various mucous cell types and on the mucus composition in intestine of infected/uninfected conspecifics. We provide a global comparison between the several fish-helminth systems examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences and Technologies for Food Safety, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giari
authors.affiliation: Morphogenyx Inc, East Northport, NY, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: DePasquale
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Environmental Biology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Environmental Biology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorenzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: B Sayyaf
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9778-5937
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Dezfuli
mesh_terms: D000049:Acanthocephala / Q000502:physiology; D000811:Anguilla; D000818:Animals; D002589:Cestoda / Q000502:physiology; D002590:Cestode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D003530:Cyprinidae; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000469:parasitology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D014200:Trematoda / Q000502:physiology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D014337:Trout
keywords: enteric worms; fish innate immunity; infected intestine; mucus