Hostname: page-component-74656f9884-8r8nv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-10T12:23:56.939Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The cestocidal effect of complement in normal and immune sera in vitro

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

E. P. Herd
E. P. Herd
Affiliation:
Attwood Veterinary Research Laboratory, Department of Agriculture, Michleham Road, Westrneadows, Victoria, 3047, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The effects of complement and/or specific antibodies on the larval and adult stages of Echinococcus granulosus were studied in vitro. Lysis and death of both protoscoleces and adult E. granulosus occurred within 10 min to 24 h in 50% fresh normal sera used as a source of complement, without the presence of specific antibodies. The lytic and lethal reaction was marked in fresh sera from guinea-pigs, calves, dogs, man and sheep, but only slight in fresh sera from English rabbits and horses. Guinea-pig sera were shown to be complement deficient after reacting with worms and all reactions were abolished after sera had been heated to 56 °C for 30 min. Fluorescent antibody studies failed to detect host antibodies at the parasite tegument. It is suggested that activation of the complement system occurs via the alternate pathway, that it acts independently of the immune system and that it is lethal to a wide range of cestode parasites.

In contrast, marked agglutination/precipitation reactions with protoscoleces and precipitation reactions with adult E. granulosus were observed after incubation in heat inactivated 50% canine antisera, but not in normal sera. The antigen-antibody nature of these reactions was established by fluorescent antibody studies and the areas of antibody attack pinpointed. In spite of these reactions, worms remained healthy and active over a period of 8 days.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 72 , Issue 3 , June 1976 , pp. 325 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Cunningham, A. J., & Szenberg, A., (1968). Further improvements in the plaque technique for detecting single antibody-forming cells. Immunology 14, 599–600.Google ScholarPubMed
Day, N. K. V., Gewury, H., Johannsen, R., Finstad, J., & Good, R. A., (1970). Complement and complement-like activity in lower vertebrates and invertebrates. Journal of Experimental Medicine 132, 941–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heath, D. D., (1973). Resistance to Taenia pisiformis larvae in rabbits. 11. Temporal relationships and the development phase affected. International Journal for Parasitology 3, 491–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heath, D. D., & Pavloff, P., (1975). The fate of Taenia taeniaeformis oncospheres in normal and passively protected rats. International Journal for Parasitology 5, 83–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herd, R. P., Chappel, R. J., & Biddell, D., (1975). Immunization of dogs against Echinococcus granulosus using worm secretory antigens. International Journal for Parasitology 5, 395–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heyneman, D., & Welsh, J. F., (1959). Action of homologous antiserum in vitro against life cycle stages of Hymenolepis nana, the dwarf mouse tapeworm. Experimental Parasitology 8, 119–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jha, R. K., & Smyth, J. D., (1971). Ultrastructure of the rostellar tegument of Echinococcus granulosus with special reference to biogenesis of mitochondria. International Journal for Parasitology 1, 169–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kassis, A. I., & Tanner, C. E., (1976). The role of complement in hydatid disease: In vitro studies.. International Journal for Parasitology 6, 25–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lumsden, R. D., (1975). Parasitological review: Surface ultrastructure and cytochemistry of parasitic helminths. Experimental Parasitology 37, 267–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Machado, A. J., Gazzinelli, G., Pellegrino, J., & Dias da Suva, W., (1975). Schistosoma mansoni: The role of the complement C3-activating system in the cercarieidal action of normal serum. Experimental Parasitology 38, 20–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muller-Eberhard, H. J., (1972). The molecular basis of the biological activities of complement. In The Harvey Lectures, 1970/1971, Series 66, pp. 75–104. New York and London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Shults, R. S., & Ismagilova, R. G., (1962). (On new immunological reactions in Echinococcosis). Vestnik Sel' skokhozyaistvennoi Nauki, Alma-Ata 5, 45–9.Google Scholar
Shults, R. S., & Ismagilova, R. G., (1963). (Scolex precipitation reaction for the diagnosis of Echinococcosis). Meditsinskaya Parazitologiya i Parazitarnye Bolezni, Moscow 32, 678–82.Google ScholarPubMed
Silverman, P. H., (1955). A technique for studying the in vitro effect of serum on activateid taeniid hexacanth embryos. Nature, London 176, 598–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smyth, J. D., (1968). In vitro studies and host specificity in Echinococcus. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 39, 5–12.Google ScholarPubMed
Smyth, J. D., (1969). The Physiology of Cestodes. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.Google Scholar
Smyth, J. D., & Howkins, A. B., (1966). An in vitro technique for the production of eggs of Echinococcus granulosus by maturation of partly developed strobila. Parasitology 56, 763–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smyth, J. D., & Heath, D. D., (1970). Pathogenesis of larval cestodes in mammals. Helminthological Abstracts, Series A 39, 1–23.Google Scholar
Smyth, J. D., & Davtes, Z., (1974). In vitro culture of the strobilar stages of Echinococcus granulosus (sheep strain): a review of basic problems and results. International Journal for Parasitology 4, 631–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar