Iva Langrová

In Vitro Anthelmintic Effects of Medicinal Plants Used in Czech Republic

The ethanol extracts of 16 Czech medicinal plants, namely, Allium sativum L. (Alliaceae), Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae), Artemisia vulgaris L. (Asteraceae), Carum carvi L. (Apiaceae), Consolida regalis Gray (Ranunculaceae), Cucurbita pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae), Daucus carota L. (Apiaceae), Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott (Dryopteridaceae), Erigeron canadensis L. (Asteraceae), Hedera helix L. (Araliaceae), Inula helenium L. (Asteraceae), Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae), Satureja hortensis L. (Lamiaceae), Tanacetum vulgare L. (Asteraceae), Thymus vulgaris L. (Lamiaceae), and Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerianaceae), have been tested for their potential in vitro anthelmintic effect against eggs Ascaris suum and infectious larvae Trichostrongylus colubriformis. The extracts of A. sativum, A. absinthium, C. carvi, D. carota, and J. regia possessed the strongest anthelmintic effect on the embryonating eggs at all concentrations tested (62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 μg/mL). The best results, showing a higher effect against the infective third-stage larvae in comparison with synthetic anthelmintic Zentel (albendazole), have been obtained for A. sativum, A. absinthium, C. carvi, C. regalis, I. helenium, J. regia, S. hortensis, and V. officinalis.

Intestinal Parasite Acanthocephalus lucii (Acanthocephala) from European Perch (Perca fluviatilis) as a Bioindicator for Lead Pollution in the Stream “Jevanský potok” Near Prague, Czech Republic

Lead concentrations in the tissues of perch and its parasites were determined as mg/kg dw. Lead was found at higher concentrations in the acanthocephalans (11.56) than in different tissues (liver, gonads and muscle with skin and bone) of perch. With respect to fish tissues, the highest concentrations of lead were present in the liver (1.24), followed by the gonads (0.57) whereas the lowest concentrations were in the muscle with skin and bone (0.21). The bioconcentration factors for lead indicated that parasites accumulate metals to a higher degree than fish tissues—lead concentrations in acanthocephalans were 9.32, 19.27 and 55.05 higher than in liver, gonads and muscles of host, respectively.

Concentrations of Zn, Mn, Cu and Cd in different tissues of perch (Perca fluviatilis) and in perch intestinal parasite (Acanthocephalus lucii) from the stream near Prague (Czech Republic)

We monitored concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn and Zn in acantocephalan parasites (Acanthocephalus lucii) and its final host (Perca fluviatilis). The concentrations in parasites were found to be significantly higher than those found in the muscle, gonads and liver of fish host. The bioaccumulation factor values (BF=C(parasite)/C(host muscle)) were 194, 24.4, 2.2 and 4.7 for Cd, Cu, Mn and Zn, respectively. This suggests a benefit for the host due to the high accumulation of toxic cadmium.

Influence of parasitism on the use of small terrestrial rodents in environmental pollution monitoring.

Bioaccumulation of cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, lead and zinc in small terrestrial rodents - voles and their cestode parasite Paranoplocephala dentata was studied. Contents of Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn in the parasite were found to be higher than in the kidney and liver of the parasitized animals. Lead level in the cestode was 37 fold higher than in the liver of the infected rodents. Bioaccumulation factors of zinc, nickel and manganese in the cestode are mostly in the range from 2 to 4.5. Considering the different contents of manganese and zinc in livers of non-parasitized and parasitized rodents, kidney tissue was found to be more reliable than liver as an indicator of environmental pollution by manganese and zinc; the kidneys of parasitized animals showed no significant change in the concentrations of those elements that are accumulated in the cestode.

Arrested development of sheep strongyles: onset and resumption under field conditions of Central Europe

Two tracer tests were conducted between August 2004 and March 2007 at an ecological farm in western Bohemia. The first tracer test was performed for the summer–autumn grazing period (onset of arrested development), the second for spring (resumption of arrested development). In the first tracer test, the percentage of nematodes arresting development over the winter months reached 87.7% for Teladorsagia circumcincta, 66.7% for Haemonchus contortus, 89.9% for Nematodirus filicollis, 21.6% for Trichostrongylus axei, and 23.9% for both Trichostrongylus vitrinus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis. None of the arrested larvae were observed with species Cooperia curticei, Nematodirus battus, and Oesophagostomum venulosum. In the second tracer test, a significant increase of adult worms was discovered in March of species T. circumcincta and N. filicollis and Trichostrongylus spp. in February. Redundancy analysis and generalized linear models analyses have confirmed that environmental conditions play a crucial role in hypobiosis of sheep strongyles in the Czech Republic. The analysis of influences of various environmental factors revealed that the number of arrested larvae was negatively influenced by light—day length, sunshine, or daylight decrease (p < 0.01).

The first determination of Trichuris sp. from roe deer by amplification and sequenation of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 segment of ribosomal DNA

Trichuris nematodes were isolated from roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). At first, nematodes were determined using morphological and biometrical methods. Subsequently genomic DNA was isolated and the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 segment from ribosomal DNA (RNA) was amplified and sequenced using PCR techniques. With u sing morphological and biometrical methods, female nematodes were identified as Trichuris globulosa, and the only male was identified as Trichuris ovis. The females were classified into four morphotypes. However, analysis of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of specimens did not confirm this classification. Moreover, the female individuals morphologically determined as T. globulosa were molecularly identified as Trichuris discolor. In the case of the only male molecular analysis match the result of the molecular identification. Furthermore, a comparative phylogenetic study was carried out with the ITS1 and ITS2 sequences of the Trichuris species from various hosts. A comparison of biometric information from T. discolor individuals from this study was also conducted.

Is the tapeworm able to affect tissue Pb-concentrations in white rat?

The effect of gastrointestinal helminths on Pb accumulation in the host body is ambiguous. A laboratory experiment with Rattus norvegicus/Hymenolepis diminuta model was conducted to determine Pb toxicokinetics in a terrestrial host-parasite system. The ET-AAS or ICP-OES techniques were used to determine Pb concentrations (CPb) in both tapeworms and host tissues (kidney, liver, bone, testes, muscle and intestinal wall). Concerning the entire host-parasite system, the highest CPb were detected in H. diminuta. Rat kidneys and bone were the only two tissues whose mean Pb levels were lower in parasitized animals than they were in non-infected subjects after both levels of exposure. At low Pb exposure, parasitization slightly changed the Pb toxicokinetics in the host body. However, with respect to tissue at the same exposure level, no significant differences were detected between the parasitized and non-parasitized animals and no significant correlations were found between CPb in tapeworms and those of host tissues. The results of this study indicate that H. diminuta does not protect rat from elevated Pb exposure even if tapeworm accumulates a higher portion of ingested Pb dose compared with that of the most Pb-loaded host soft tissue. The portion of Pb dose accumulated in H. diminuta correlates positively with parasite biomass.

The contribution to the epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep with special focus on the survival of infective larvae in winter conditions

Tracer tests conducted over a 3-year period were aimed at measuring the level and species nematode composition of survival on pastures with a special focus on winter months. The survival of infective larvae in chilly conditions is not significantly affected by Trichostrongylus axei, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Trichostrongylus vitrinus and Chabertia ovina. On the contrary, the number of Teladorsagia circumcincta and Nematodirus filicollis significantly increased in milder winter conditions. The results confirmed an epidemiological strategy of overwintering in the arrested stage for Teladorsagia circumcincta and Nematodirus filicollis; the epidemiological strategy of genus Trichostrongylus used both strategies—in particular the tolerance of free-living stages to cold conditions. Part of the population overwintered in the arrested stage as well.

Humoral immune response and spreading of Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection in experimentally infected ponies.

A total of 9 (8 stallions and 1 mare) 1 year old ponies were used for the experimental infection caused by Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype II (10(7) spores per animal). Subsequently, individual horses were slaughtered 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, and 63 days post infection. Immediately after slaughter, tissues samples of stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, colon, spleen, liver, kidney, bladder, heart, lungs, and brain were sampled. In addition, urine, feces and blood specimens were collected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for determination of humoral immune response and nested PCR targeting 16S rDNA, whole ITS, and 5.8S rDNA was used for detection of E. cuniculi in collected organs, blood, feces and urine. No clinical signs of microsporidiosis including diarrhea or colic, neurological signs and fever were observed in any horses during whole experiment. Acute microsporidiosis in ponies was characterized by the dissemination of microsporidia into almost all organs and significant increase of concentration of specific antibodies in blood was observed from 28 to 42 DPI. After this acute stage microsporidia disappeared from most organs with the exception of the kidney, which was positive up to 63 DPI when the experiment was terminated. No pathological changes were observed in any organs with exception of one mares brain, where E. cuniculi-positive cavity measuring 5 cm × 3 cm in diameter formed in the lobus piriformis.

Thermal profile of rabbits infected with Eimeria intestinalis

In this study, infrared thermography (IRT) was assessed as a means of detecting the changes in body temperature in rabbit coccidiosis, as well as determining IRT used in imaging and measuring the regional changes in skin temperature that occur in the rabbits during this infection. Rabbits were inoculated with 5 x 10(4) or 1 x 10(5) oocysts of Eimeria intestinalis, respectively. The group of control animals remained non-inoculated throughout the study. All measured temperatures (rectal, ocular surface and auricle pavilion temperatures) dropped significantly (P<0.05) in rabbits infected with 1 x 10(5) oocysts. This group of rabbits also showed a medium negative correlation in rectal temperature (r=-0.49), ocular surface temperature (r=-0.49) and auricle pavilion temperature (r=-0.49) and a small negative correlation in live body weight gain (r=-0.22) depending on the number of days elapsed from the time of infection exposure.