The Korean Journal of Parasitology  2016;54(2):225-231

doi:10.3347/kjp.2016.54.2.225

A Rapid and Convenient Method for in Vivo Fluorescent Imaging of Protoscolices of Echinococcus multilocularis.

Tao YANG 1 2 ; Sibo WANG ; Xuyong ZHANG ; Jie XIA ; Jun GUO ; Jixue HOU ; Hongwei ZHANG ; Xueling CHEN ; Xiangwei WU

Affiliations

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Keywords

Echinococcus multilocularis; fluorescent imaging; in vivo; animal model

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Human and animal alveolar echinococcosis (AE) are important helminth infections endemic in wide areas of the Northern hemisphere. Monitoring Echinococcus multilocularis viability and spread using real-time fluorescent imaging in vivo provides a fast method to evaluate the load of parasite. Here, we generated a kind of fluorescent protoscolices in vivo imaging model and utilized this model to assess the activity against E. multilocularis protoscolices of metformin (Met). Results indicated that JC-1 tagged E. multilocularis can be reliably and confidently used to monitor protoscolices in vitro and in vivo. The availability of this transient in vivo fluorescent imaging of E. multilocularis protoscolices constitutes an important step toward the long term bio-imaging research of the AE-infected mouse models. In addition, this will be of great interest for further research on infection strategies and development of drugs and vaccines against E. multilocularis and other cestodes.