By an application of Sigma-Frankel methods, two transaminase systems, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, were found to operate at a mesurable rate in 2 species of nematodes(Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaridia galli), 5 species of trematodes (Clonorchis sinensis, Fasciola hepatica, Eurytrema pancreaticum, Paramphistomum cervi and Paragonimus westermani) and 5 kinds of cestodes (Diphyllobothrium mansoni, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia pisiformis, Cysticercus cellulosae and Cysticercus pisiformis). A comparison was made of the transamination reactions in nematodes and those of trematodes and cestodes. And the significance of transaminase in these parasites is discussed in relation to protein synthesis and its utilization.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda-trematoda-cestoda ; transaminase ; biochemistry ; spectrophotometry ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Ascaridia galli ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Fasciola hepatica ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Paramphistomum cervi ; Paragonimus westermani ; Diphyllobothrium mansoni ; Dipylidium caninum ; Taenia pisiformis ; Cysticercus cellulosae ; Cysticercus pisiformis

In an attempt to investigate the antigen-antibody relations and the value of immunodiagnosis for several helminths, Ouchterlony tests and immunoelectrophoreses were carried out. Taenia saginata, Cysticercus sp. of cestodes, Clonorchis sinensis, Fasciola hepatica and Paramphistomum sp. of trematodes,and Ascaris suum of nematodes were used as antigens. On the other hand, antisera were obtained by injecting 0.5 ml each of the above antigens and the same amount of complete Freund's adjuvant into rabbits ten times at an interval of one week. The result obtained in this study are as follows: A larger number of precipitin arcs were demonstrated in homologous antigen-antibody reactions than in heterologous antigen-antibody reactions both in Ouchterlony tests and immunoelectrophoreses. Gross reactions were observed between the different species of the same class, but no cross reactions were noticed when the classes were different with one or two exceptions, such as between T. saginata, F. hepatica and A. suum. In A. suum, the difference between the male and female was more distinct in Ouchterlony test and immunoelectrophoresis than in the examination of organs such as genital organ and coeliac fluid. Immunoelectrophoresis revealed specific arcs and higher sensitive reaction than Ouchterlony test, and was considered to be a more valuable method for identifing species and immunological diagnosis.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; cestoda ; nematoda ; immunoelectrophoresis ; Taenia saginata ; Cysticercus ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Fasciola hepatica ; Paramphistomum sp. ; Ascaris suum ; antigen ; immunology

The malic dehydrogenase activity was determined by the modified method of Ochoa (1955) using tissue homogenates of various parasitic helminths. Worm parasites were mostly collected from local abattoir, and removed from the organ or tissues of the naturally infected animal hosts, and some materials were also obtained from the human hosts. The helminths used in this experiment include 3 kinds of nematodes, 5 kinds of trematodes, and 8 kinds of cestodes. They were throughly washed and homogenized in glass tissue grinder in ice chilled water bath, and then centrifuged. The supernatants were designated as enzyme preparations. The hydrogen concentrations of buffer solution were pH 1.4, 2.7, 3.5, 4.2, 5.2, 7.4, 8.2, 9.3, 10.2, 11.6, and enzymatic reaction of this experiment was performed at incubation temperature of 20, 30, 40, and 50 C. The extinction of Nicotinamide Adenosine Dinucleotide (NAD) was measured by spectrophotometry at the wave length of 340 millimicron. The results of the experiment were as follows: The malic dehydrogenase activity occurred over all kinds of parasitic helminths used in this study. And the activity on sparganum turned out to be highest. All helminths displayed their maximum activity in the range of alkaline pH. A comparison of the effects of temperature and substrate concentration on the enzyme activity was made among these helminths. However, no definite relationship among them has been detected. The significance of the existence of this enzyme in the helminths was briefly discussed.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda-cestoda-nematoda ; Fasciola hepatica ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Paramphistomum sp. ; Taenia solium ; Taenia pisiformis ; Dipylidium caninum ; Diphyllobothrium mansoni ; Cysticercus cellulosae ; Cysticercus fasciolaris ; sparganum ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Ascaridia galli ; Dirofilaria immitis ; Paragonimus westermani ; Clonorchis sinensis ; malic dehydrogenase-biochemistry-enzyme ; malic dehydrogenase ; Nicotinamide Adenosine Dinucleotide

Adult specimens of Echinostoma ilocanum (Garrison, 1908) Odhner, 1911 (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) were recovered from 2 riparian people who resided along the Mekong River in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. In fecal examinations done by the Kato-Katz technique, they revealed echinostome eggs together with eggs of Opisthorchis viverrini (and minute intestinal fluke eggs) and hookworms. To recover the adult flukes, they were treated with praziquantel 30–40 mg/kg in a single dose and purged with magnesium salts. A total of 658 adult fluke specimens were recovered from the 2 people; 456 from case 1 and 202 from case 2. Specimens from case 1 consisted of 335 echinostomes (301 E. ilocanum and 34 species undetermined), 120 O. viverrini, and 1 Haplorchis taichui, and those from case 2 consisted of 36 E. ilocanum, 134 O. viverrini, and 32 H. taichui. Thus, the number of E. ilocanum specimens was 337 in total (average per person, 168.5). From this study, it is suggested that foodborne intestinal flukes and liver flukes are highly prevalent along the Mekong River in Savannakhet Province. The present report describes for the first time human infections with E. ilocanum in Lao PDR.
Adult ; Ancylostomatoidea ; Echinostoma ; Echinostomiasis ; Eggs ; Fasciola hepatica ; Humans ; Magnesium ; Opisthorchis ; Ovum ; Praziquantel ; Rivers ; Salts ; Trematoda

To analyse the antigen specificity of patients sera from 24 confirmed neurocysticercosis and a monoclonal antibody, SDS-PAGE using 10-15% linear gradient gel and EITB were done. Cystic fluid, saline extracts of scolex and of whole worm of C. cellulosae, saline extracts of sparganum, hydatid cyst fluid, saline extracts of Fasciola, Clonorchis and Paragonimus were used as antigen. Of protein bands in cystic fluid of C. cellulosae, patient sera reacted frequently to bands of 152, 94, 64, 48, 24, 15, 10 and 7 kDa proteins. To saline extracts of scolex and whole worm of C. cellulosae, patients sera reacted frequently to 94, 64, 52, 39, 34, 15 and 10 kDa bands. Two bands in sparganum extract (130 and 64 kDa) and two bands in hydatid cyst fluid (52 and 27 kDa) were cross-reacting bands with sera from cysticercosis patient. Saline extracts of Fasciola, Clonorchis and Paragonimus did not exhibit cross-reacting bands. Monoclonal antibody to cystic fluid of C. cellulosae was found to react with low molecular weight proteins of 15, 10 and 7 kDa.
parasitolgy-helminth-cestoda ; Taenia solium ; cysticercus ; brain ; enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot ; Fasciola sp. ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Paragonimus westermani

Codon usage bias (CUB) is a unique property of genomes and has contributed to the better understanding of the molecular features and the evolution processes of particular gene. In this study, genetic indices associated with CUB, including relative synonymous codon usage and effective numbers of codons, as well as the nucleotide composition, were investigated in the Clonorchis sinensis tyrosinase genes and their platyhelminth orthologs, which play an important role in the eggshell formation. The relative synonymous codon usage patterns substantially differed among tyrosinase genes examined. In a neutrality analysis, the correlation between GC₁₂ and GC₃ was statistically significant, and the regression line had a relatively gradual slope (0.218). NC-plot, i.e., GC₃ vs effective number of codons (ENC), showed that most of the tyrosinase genes were below the expected curve. The codon adaptation index (CAI) values of the platyhelminth tyrosinases had a narrow distribution between 0.685/0.714 and 0.797/0.837, and were negatively correlated with their ENC. Taken together, these results suggested that CUB in the tyrosinase genes seemed to be basically governed by selection pressures rather than mutational bias, although the latter factor provided an additional force in shaping CUB of the C. sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini genes. It was also apparent that the equilibrium point between selection pressure and mutational bias is much more inclined to selection pressure in highly expressed C. sinensis genes, than in poorly expressed genes.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Clonorchis sinensis* ; Codon* ; Genome ; Monophenol Monooxygenase* ; Opisthorchis ; Platyhelminths

A series of experiments was performed to determine the lactic dehydrogenase activity of various parasitic helminths. The enzyme activity was determined by the modified method of Wroblewshi and LaDue (1955) using tissue homogenate of 16 kinds of worm parasites. The worms were mostly collected alive from local abattoir and removed from the organ or tissues of the naturally infected animal host and some materials were also obtained from the human host. They were thoroughly washed and homogenized in chilled glass tissue grinder, and then centrifuged. The supernatants were designated as enzyme preparations, and their enzyme activity was measured by spectrophotometry at the wave length of 340 millimicron. In order to know the effects of temperature and substrate concentration on the enzyme activity, the extinction of reduced Coenzyme I(NADH) was measured at the various conditions of incubation temperature and substrate concentration. The results of this experiments were as follows: The lactic dehydrogenase activity occurred over all kinds of parasites used in this study. Most worms of nematodes and trematodes displayed their maximum activity in the range of pH 2.7-3.5, and cestodes revealed their maximum activity in the ranges of both pH 2.7-3.5 and pH 7.4. In nematodes and trematodes, the lactic dehydrogenase activity increased slowly as incubation temperature increases except in the case of Eurytrema pancreaticum, while the activity in cestodes decreased inversely. The lactic dehydrogenase activity increased in proportion to the increase of substrate concentration in most of worm parasites.
parasitology-nematode-trematoda-helminth ; lacticdehydrogenase ; nicotinamide dinucloetide ; sodium pyruvate ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Ascaridia galli ; Dirofilaria immitis ; Fasciola hepatica ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Paramphistomum sp. ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Paragonimus westermani ; Taenia saginata ; Taenia solium ; Taenia pisiformis ; Dipylidium caninum ; Diphyllobothrium mansoni ; sparganum, Cysticercus cellulosae ; Cysticercus fasciolaris ; biochemistry- enzyme

During civil engineering construction near Sejong-ro, Jongro-ku, Seoul, cultural sites were found that are thought to have been built in the 15th century. This area was home to many different people as well as the leaders of the Yi dynasty. To gain further insight into the life styles of the inhabitants of the old capital, soil samples were collected from various areas such as toilets, water foundations, and drainage ways. Parasite eggs were examined by microscopy after 5 g soil samples were rehydrated in 0.5% trisodium phosphate solution. A total of 662 parasite eggs from 7 species were found. Species with the highest number of eggs found were Ascaris lumbricoides (n=483), followed by Trichuris trichiura (138), Trichuris vulpis (21), Fasciola hepatica (8), Clonorchis sinensis (6), Paragonimus westermani (4), and Metagonimus yokogawai (2). These findings indirectly indicate the food habits of the people in Yi dynasty.
Ascaris lumbricoides ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Drainage ; Eggs* ; Fasciola hepatica ; Food Habits ; Foundations ; Heterophyidae ; Korea* ; Life Style ; Microscopy ; Ovum* ; Paragonimus westermani ; Parasites* ; Seoul* ; Soil ; Trichuris ; Water

Total of 2,643 Korean soldiers were examined of their stool for parasitic infections by both cellophane thick smear and formalin-ether concentration techniques from August 1983 to December 1985. Out of them, 73.6% were free from any parasite, 22.6% were ova positive and 4.0% cyst positive. The ova positive rates by species were Ascaris lumbricoides 2.0%, Trichuris trichiura 13.0%, hookworm and Trichostrongylus orientalis 0.08% respectively, Clonorchis sinensis 7.6%, Metagonimus yokogawai 1.1%, Paragonimus westermani 0.08%, Echinostoma hortense 0.04%, Fibricola seoulensis 0.9%, Taenia sp. 0.3%, Hymenolepis nana 0.2% and H. diminuta 0.04%. Most of them (87.3%) were positive by a species, 11.9% by two and 0.8% by 3 species. The cyst positive rates were Entamoeba histolytica 0.6%, E. coli 1.4%, Endolimax nana 1.7%, Iodoameba butschlii 0.04% and Giardia lambla 0.9%. Among the cyst positives, 89.5% were positive by a species, 7.6% by two and 0.5% by 3 species. The intestinal parasite infections among the Korean soldiers decreased distinctly compared with previous data.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; trematoda ; cestoda ; protozoa ; epidemiology ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Trichuris trichiura ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; hookworm ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Diphyllobothrium latum ; Hymenolepis nana ; Entamoeba histolytica ; Giardia lamblia ; Entamoeba coli ; Endolimax nana ; Trichostrongylus orientalis ; Paragonimus westermani ; Echinostoma hortense ; Fibricola seoulensis ; Taenia sp. ; Hymenolepis diminuta

In an attempt to investigate the specific antigenic substance of Fasciola hepatica, Ouchterlony tests and immunoelectrophoretic analyses were carried out. Crude Fasciola antigen was prepared and fractionated by Sephadex G-200 column to Antigen I, II and III according to protein content. Crude antigens of Paragonimus westermani, Clonorchis sinensis and Paramphistomum sp. were also prepared for control and absorption study. Antiserum was prepared by injecting 0.5 ml of crude Fasciola antigen with same amount of complete Freund's adjuvant in rabbits, 10 times at an interval of l week. The results obtained in this study were as follows: Crude Fasciola antigen reacted with antiserum with 9 precipitin bands by Ouchterlony test and with 11 bands by immunoelectrophoresis. Cross reaction was observed between Paragonimus, Clonorchis and Paramphistomum antigens and anti-Fasciola rabbit serum respectively. By Ouchterlony test, 3-4 cross reacting bands were found. Anti-Fasciola sera which were absorbed with respective Paragonimus, Clonorchis and Paramphistomum antigens, reacted with Fasciola crude antigen. Ouchterlony test gave 5-6 precipitin bands. Further reaction between Fasciola antigen and antiserum absorbed with the above 3 antigens concomitantly gave 5 precipitin bands by Ouchterlony test and 7 bands by immunoelectrophoretic analyses. Fractionated Fasciola antigens (Antigens I, II and III) reacted with anti-Fasciola rabbit serum in immunoelectrophoresis. Antigen I, II and III gave 2, 3 and 5 precipitin bands respectively. Anti-Fasciola rabbit serum which was absorbed with 3 trematodes antigens gave, by immunoelectrophoresis, 1 band with Antigen I, 2 bands with Antigen II and III of Fasciola hepatica. From the above results, it is concluded that Fasciola hepatica possessed the specific antigenic substance not cross-reacted with other trematodes.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Fasciola hepatica ; Paragonimus westermani ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Paramphistomum sp. ; antigen ; immunology ; electrophoresis