Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>)
<i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> is a metastrongyloid lungworm causing severe cardiovascular disease in domestic and wild animals. During its heteroxenous life cycle, <i>A. vasorum</i> requires obligate gastropod intermediate hosts. Little is known about <i>A. vasorum<...
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2024-10-01
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| author | Alena Dusch Lisa Segeritz Manfred Henrich Anja Taubert Carlos Hermosilla |
| author_facet | Alena Dusch Lisa Segeritz Manfred Henrich Anja Taubert Carlos Hermosilla |
| author_sort | Alena Dusch |
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| description | <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> is a metastrongyloid lungworm causing severe cardiovascular disease in domestic and wild animals. During its heteroxenous life cycle, <i>A. vasorum</i> requires obligate gastropod intermediate hosts. Little is known about <i>A. vasorum</i> larval organ tropism and development in gastropod intermediate hosts. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze in vivo development of <i>A. vasorum</i> larval stages in experimentally infected African giant snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>). Adult <i>L. fulica</i> (<i>n</i> = 26) were orally infected with <i>A. vasorum</i>-L1 and thereafter continuously euthanized. Gastropod organs were artificially digested and microscopically analyzed for the presence of <i>A. vasorum</i> larvae. Moreover, paraffin-fixed organs were investigated histologically for snail-borne innate immune response. In the current study, the success of <i>L. fulica</i> oral infection was demonstrated, thereby reaching larval recovery rates of up to 49.7%. During snail infection, an organ tropism of <i>A. vasorum</i> larvae was detected for the lungs and the foot muscular tissue. Overall, <i>A. vasorum</i>-driven gastropod innate immune reactions against larvae varied greatly. In some specimens, larvae were found effectively ensnared by recruited hemocytes, resulting in granuloma formation, whilst in others, hemocyte-mediated reactions were barely observed. Nevertheless, these evidences demand more studies on hemocyte-derived effector mechanisms against <i>A. vasorum</i>. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ac4478d7b1d8490f88be628bb05189e4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
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| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-ac4478d7b1d8490f88be628bb05189e42025-08-20T01:54:03ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172024-10-01131194610.3390/pathogens13110946Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>)Alena Dusch0Lisa Segeritz1Manfred Henrich2Anja Taubert3Carlos Hermosilla4Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, GermanyInstitute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, GermanyInstitute of Pathology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, GermanyInstitute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, GermanyInstitute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany<i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> is a metastrongyloid lungworm causing severe cardiovascular disease in domestic and wild animals. During its heteroxenous life cycle, <i>A. vasorum</i> requires obligate gastropod intermediate hosts. Little is known about <i>A. vasorum</i> larval organ tropism and development in gastropod intermediate hosts. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze in vivo development of <i>A. vasorum</i> larval stages in experimentally infected African giant snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>). Adult <i>L. fulica</i> (<i>n</i> = 26) were orally infected with <i>A. vasorum</i>-L1 and thereafter continuously euthanized. Gastropod organs were artificially digested and microscopically analyzed for the presence of <i>A. vasorum</i> larvae. Moreover, paraffin-fixed organs were investigated histologically for snail-borne innate immune response. In the current study, the success of <i>L. fulica</i> oral infection was demonstrated, thereby reaching larval recovery rates of up to 49.7%. During snail infection, an organ tropism of <i>A. vasorum</i> larvae was detected for the lungs and the foot muscular tissue. Overall, <i>A. vasorum</i>-driven gastropod innate immune reactions against larvae varied greatly. In some specimens, larvae were found effectively ensnared by recruited hemocytes, resulting in granuloma formation, whilst in others, hemocyte-mediated reactions were barely observed. Nevertheless, these evidences demand more studies on hemocyte-derived effector mechanisms against <i>A. vasorum</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/11/946<i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i><i>Lissachatina fulica</i>innate immunityhemocytesorgan tropism |
| spellingShingle | Alena Dusch Lisa Segeritz Manfred Henrich Anja Taubert Carlos Hermosilla Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>) Pathogens <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> <i>Lissachatina fulica</i> innate immunity hemocytes organ tropism |
| title | Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>) |
| title_full | Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>) |
| title_fullStr | Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>) |
| title_short | Organ Tropism of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails (<i>Lissachatina fulica</i>) |
| title_sort | organ tropism of i angiostrongylus vasorum i larval stages in infected african giant snails i lissachatina fulica i |
| topic | <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> <i>Lissachatina fulica</i> innate immunity hemocytes organ tropism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/13/11/946 |
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