The giant roundworm Ascaris infects pigs and people worldwide and causes serious diseases. The taxonomic relationship between Ascaris suum and Ascaris lumbricoides is still unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of 258 Ascaris specimens from humans and pigs from 6 sympatric regions in Ascaris-endemic regions of China using existing simple sequence repeat data. The microsatellite markers showed a high level of allelic richness and genetic diversity in the samples. Each of the populations demonstrated excess homozygosity (Ho < He, Fis > 0). According to a genetic differentiation index (Fst=0.0593), there was a high-level of gene flow in the Ascaris populations. A hierarchical analysis on molecular variance revealed remarkably high levels of variation within the populations. Moreover, a population structure analysis indicated that Ascaris populations fell into 3 main genetic clusters, interpreted as A. suum, A. lumbricoides, and a hybrid of the species. We speculated that humans can be infected with A. lumbricoides, A. suum, and the hybrid, but pigs were mainly infected with A. suum. This study provided new information on the genetic diversity and population structure of Ascaris from human and pigs in China, which can be used for designing Ascaris control strategies. It can also be beneficial to understand the introgression of host affiliation.
Ascaris lumbricoides ; Ascaris suum ; Ascaris ; China ; Gene Flow ; Genetic Structures ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Swine

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of several different commercial disinfectants on the embryogenic development of Ascaris suum eggs. A 1-ml aliquot of each disinfectant was mixed with approximately 40,000 decorticated or intact A. suum eggs in sterile tubes. After each treatment time (at 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 30, and 60 min), disinfectants were washed away, and egg suspensions were incubated at 25℃ in distilled water for development of larvae inside. At 3 weeks of incubation after exposure, ethanol, methanol, and chlorohexidin treatments did not affect the larval development of A. suum eggs, regardless of their concentration and treatment time. Among disinfectants tested in this study, 3% cresol, 0.2% sodium hypochlorite and 0.02% sodium hypochlorite delayed but not inactivated the embryonation of decorticated eggs at 3 weeks of incubation, because at 6 weeks of incubation, undeveloped eggs completed embryonation regardless of exposure time, except for 10% povidone iodine. When the albumin layer of A. suum eggs remained intact, however, even the 10% povidone iodine solution took at least 5 min to reasonably inactivate most eggs, but never completely kill them with even 60 min of exposure. This study demonstrated that the treatment of A. suum eggs with many commercially available disinfectants does not affect the embryonation. Although some disinfectants may delay or stop the embryonation of A. suum eggs, they can hardly kill them completely.
Animals ; Ascaris suum/*drug effects ; Disinfectants/*toxicity ; Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects ; Embryonic Development/*drug effects ; Time Factors

To evaluate the effects of pesticides to parasite eggs, Ascaris suum eggs were incubated with 5 different pesticides (1:1,500-1:2,000 dilutions of 2% emamectin benzoate, 5% spinetoram, 5% indoxacarb, 1% deltamethrin, and 5% flufenoxuron; all v/v) at 20degrees C for 6 weeks, and microscopically evaluated the egg survival and development on a weekly basis. The survival rate of A. suum eggs incubated in normal saline (control eggs) was 90+/-3% at 6 weeks. However, the survival rates of eggs treated with pesticides were 75-85% at this time, thus significantly lower than the control value. Larval development in control eggs commenced at 3 weeks, and 73+/-3% of eggs had internal larvae at 6 weeks. Larvae were evident in pesticide-treated eggs at 3-4 weeks, and the proportions of eggs carrying larvae at 6 weeks (36+/-3%-54+/-3%) were significantly lower than that of the control group. Thus, pesticides tested at levels similar to those used in agricultural practices exhibited low-level ovicidal activity and delayed embryogenesis of A. suum eggs, although some differences were evident among the tested pesticides.
Animals ; Ascaris suum/*drug effects/growth & development ; Female ; Larva/drug effects/growth & development ; Microscopy ; Pesticides/*pharmacology ; Survival Analysis ; Temperature ; Time ; Zygote/*drug effects/growth & development

The dynamic polar polymers actin filaments and microtubules are usually employed to provide the structural basis for establishing cell polarity in most eukaryotic cells. Radially round and immotile spermatids from nematodes contain almost no actin or tubulin, but still have the ability to break symmetry to extend a pseudopod and initiate the acquisition of motility powered by the dynamics of cytoskeleton composed of major sperm protein (MSP) during spermiogenesis (sperm activation). However, the signal transduction mechanism of nematode sperm activation and motility acquisition remains poorly understood. Here we show that Ca(2+) oscillations induced by the Ca(2+) release from intracellular Ca(2+) store through inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptor are required for Ascaris suum sperm activation. The chelation of cytosolic Ca(2+) suppresses the generation of a functional pseudopod, and this suppression can be relieved by introducing exogenous Ca(2+) into sperm cells. Ca(2+) promotes MSP-based sperm motility by increasing mitochondrial membrane potential and thus the energy supply required for MSP cytoskeleton assembly. On the other hand, Ca(2+) promotes MSP disassembly by activating Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase calcineurin. In addition, Ca(2+)/camodulin activity is required for the fusion of sperm-specifi c membranous organelle with the plasma membrane, a regulated exocytosis required for sperm motility. Thus, Ca(2+) plays multifunctional roles during sperm activation in Ascaris suum.
Animals ; Ascaris suum ; metabolism ; Calcineurin ; metabolism ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Calmodulin ; metabolism ; Cytoskeleton ; metabolism ; Cytosol ; metabolism ; Egtazic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Helminth Proteins ; metabolism ; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; physiology ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Pseudopodia ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatids ; drug effects ; physiology ; Spermatogenesis ; Type C Phospholipases ; metabolism

Ascaris suum eggs are inactivated by composting conditions; however, it is difficult to find functional changes in heat-treated A. suum eggs. Here, unembryonated A. suum eggs were incubated at 20degrees C, 50degrees C, and 70degrees C in vitro, and the gene expression levels related to viability, such as eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (IF4E), phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK1), and thioredoxin 1 (TRX1), and to apoptosis, such as apoptosis-inducing factor 1 (AIF1) and cell death protein 6 (CDP6), were evaluated by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. No prominent morphological alterations were noted in the eggs at 20degrees C until day 10. In contrast, the eggs developed rapidly, and embryonated eggs and hatched larvae began to die, starting on day 2 at 50degrees C and day 1 at 70degrees C. At 20degrees C, IF4E, PFK1, and TRX1 mRNA expression was significantly increased from days 2-4; however, AIF1 and CDP6 mRNA expression was not changed significantly. IF4E, PFK1, and TRX1 mRNA expression was markedly decreased from day 2 at 50degrees C and 70degrees C, whereas AIF1 and CDP6 mRNA expression was significantly increased. The expressions of HSP70 and HSP90 were detected for 9-10 days at 20degrees C, for 3-5 days at 50degrees C, and for 2 days at 70degrees C. Taken together, incremental heat increases were associated with the rapid development of A. suum eggs, decreased expression of genes related to viability, and earlier expression of apoptosis-related genes, and finally these changes of viability- and apoptosis-related genes of A. suum eggs were associated with survival of the eggs under temperature stress.
Animals ; *Apoptosis ; Ascaris suum/*genetics/*radiation effects ; Cell Survival/radiation effects ; Eggs/radiation effects ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation/*radiation effects ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Survival Analysis ; Temperature

The influence of temperature on the development and embryonation of Ascaris suum eggs was studied using coarse sand medium in an environmental chamber with 50% humidity. The time required for development and embryonation of eggs was examined under 3 different temperature conditions, 5degrees C, 25degrees C, and 35degrees C. A. suum eggs did not develop over 1 month at the temperature of 5degrees C. However, other temperature conditions, 25degrees C and 35degrees C, induced egg development to the 8-cell-stage at days 5-6 after incubation. All eggs examined developed to the 8-cell stage at day 6 after incubation in the sand medium at 25degrees C. The higher temperature, 35degrees C, slightly accelerated the A. suum egg development compared to 25degrees C, and the development to the 8-cell stage occurred within day 5 after incubation. The formation of larvae in A. suum eggs at temperatures of 35degrees C and 25degrees C appeared at days 17 and 19 after incubation, respectively. These findings show that 35degrees C condition shortens the time for the development of A. suum eggs to the 8-cell-stage in comparison to 25degrees C, and suggest the possibility of accelerated transmission of this parasite, resulting from global warming and ecosystem changes.
Animals ; Ascaris suum/*embryology/growth & development/*radiation effects ; Culture Media ; Eggs/radiation effects ; Humidity ; Larva/growth & development/radiation effects ; Silicon Dioxide ; Temperature

To determine the effects of kimchi extracts at different temperatures on larval development, Ascaris suum eggs were mixed with soluble part of 7 different brands of commercially available kimchi and preserved at either 5degrees C or 25degrees C for up to 60 days. A. suum eggs incubated at 25degrees C showed marked differences in larval development between kimchi extract and control group. While all eggs in the control group completed embryonation by day 21, only 30% of the eggs in the kimchi extract group became embryonated by day 36 and about 25% never became larvated even at day 60. At 5degrees C, however, none of the eggs showed larval development regardless of the incubation period or type of mixture group. To determine the survival rate of A. suum eggs that showed no embryonation after being preserved at 5degrees C, eggs preserved in kimchi extracts for 14, 28, and 60 at 5degrees C were re-incubated at 25degrees C for 3 weeks in distilled water. While all eggs in the control group became larvated, eggs in the kimchi extract group showed differences in their embryonation rates by the incubation period; 87.4 % and 41.7% of the eggs became embryonated after being refrigerated for 14 days and 28 days, respectively. When refrigerated for 60 days, however, no eggs mixed in kimchi extract showed larval development. Our results indicate that embryogenesis of A. suum eggs in kimchi extract was affected by duration of refrigeration, and that all eggs stopped larval development completely in kimchi kept at 5degrees C for up to 60 days.
Animals ; Ascaris suum/*drug effects/embryology ; Brassica/*chemistry ; Ovum/*drug effects/growth & development ; Plant Extracts/*pharmacology ; Raphanus/*chemistry ; Temperature

No abstract available.
Ascaris suum* ; Ascaris* ; Haplorhini* ; Histamine* ; Rhinitis*

Helminthic zoonoses are of significant importance to the public health and to the socioeconomic consequences especially in lost-meat, animal products and animal labor. For past several decades in Korea, it has been recognized that endoparasitic infections among domestic animals are extremely common and many of the helminth parasites of man have been acquired from, or are shared with domestic animals. However, there was no survey of a nationwide scale on the prevalence of animal helminthiasis; and control measures are also not satisfactory. Furthermore, because of the remarkable increase in the demand, number of domestic animals and pets is rapidly increasing in these days. Therefore, an extensive study on zoonotic helminths was carried out from July 1980 throughout August 1981 to understand the present status and parasite-host relationship from the epidemiological viewpoont. A total of 13,685 fecal specimens of cattles, sheeps, pigs, dogs and cats was collected from 26 localities in the country. The specimens were examined by formalin-ether centrifugal sedimentation technique. The results are summarized as follows: Of 13,685 specimens examined, 9,808(71.7 percent) were positive for helminth parasites. The positive rates were 99.0 percent in cattles, 86.5 percent on sheeps, 85.4 percent in pigs, 35.4 percent in dogs, 15.1 percent in cats. Single infection showed the highest rate (60.0 percent), and double infection(27.5 percent), triple(8.1 percent), quadruple(2.8 percent), quintuple(1.5 percent) and hexad(0.1 percent) were in decreasing order. In the present study, 18 species zoonotic helminths were found: 11 nematodes, 6 trematodes and 1 cestode. According to province, Cheju revealed the highest rate 84.8 percent, then Kyungnam 77.5 percent, Jeonnam 75.6 percent, Jeonpuk 75.4 percent, Kyonggi 75.2 percent, Chungnam 71.7 percent, Chungpuk 70.6 percent and Kangwon 64.2 percent were in decreasing order and Busan and Seoul showed 70.4 percent and 58.1 percent, respectively. Rural area showed slightly higher rate (74.7 percent) than urban area (68.5 percent), and rates of mountainous area (70.4 percent) and plain area (71.1 percent) are very similar. According to animal, helminths species and positive rates appeared in: Cattles: 6 nematodes and 3 trematodes; Strongyles 26.4 percent, Neoascaris vitulorum 24.1 percent, Trichuris ovis 12.0 percent, Nematodirus sp. 6.3 percent, Srongyloides papillosus 5.1 percent, Capillaria bovis 0.02 percent, Paramphistomum sp. 41.5 percent, Fasciola hepatica 33.2 percent and Eurytrema pancreaticum 29.7 percent. Sheeps: 3 nematodes and 2 trematodes: Strongyles 33.0 percent, S. papillosus 26.9 percent, Nematodirus sp. 14.6 percent, F. hepatica 31.7 percent and E. pancreaticum 19.6 percent. Pigs: 5 nematodes and 2 trematodes: Strongyles 43.1 percent, Ascaris suum 29.0 percent, Metastrongylus apri 20.3 percent, Trichuris suis 14.0 percent, Strongyloides ransomi 12.1 percent, Clonorchis sinensis 1.4 percent and Paragonimus westermani 0.9 percent, Dogs: 4 nematodes and 3 trematodes and 1 cestode: Toxocara canis 14.4 percent, Trichuris vulpis 9.5 percent, Ancylostoma caninum 8.0 percent, Toxascaris leonina 4.0 percent, C. sinensis 2.4 percent, Metagonimus yokogawai 1.3 percent, P. westermani 0.8 percent and Spirometra sp. 0.9 percent, Cats: 2 nematodes, and 3 trematodes and 1 cestode: Toxocara cati 7.7 percent, Ancylostoma tubaeforme 3.1 percent, C. sinensis 1.9 percent, P. westermani 1.4 percent, M. yokogawai 1.2 percent and Spirometra sp. 0.7 percent.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda-trematoda-cestoda ; cattle ; sheep ; pig ; dog ; cat ; epidemiology ; zoonosis ; Fasciola hepatica ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Paramphsitomum sp. ; Neoascaris vitulorum ; Trichuris ovis ; Strongyloides papillosus ; Nematodirus sp. ; Capillaria bovis ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Paragonimus westermani ; Ascaris suum ; Trichuris suis ; Strongyloides ransomi ; Metastrongylus apri ; Spirometra sp. ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; Toxocara canis ; Toxocara leonina ; Ancylostoma caninum ; Trichuris vulpis ; Ancylostoma tubaeforme ; Strongyles

For the purpose of making a comparative study of protein compositions in Ascaris suum by sexes and body parts, extracts were prepared from whole bodies, body walls, genital organs, digestive organs and body fluid, of both sexes. And electrophoretic analysis was conducted using polyacrylamide slab gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The results were as follows: In this study, protein bands of each part were separated in the largest number and most clearly under 8 -12 percent (10 percent) gradient gel condition. The number of bands by body parts was 43 in body walls, 51 in genital organs, 47 in digestive organs, and 34 in body fluid. When examined in terms of sex, the number of bands of whole body was 38 in females and 35 in males. The electrophoretic patterns of body wall protein were in most cases similar with those seen in digestive organs. And the band with a molecular weight of 72,900 was unique to the body wall, and the 122,000 MW band was unique to the female body wall. In genital organ extracts, large molecular weight proteins (more than 80,000) were more frequently met. The molecular weights showed some differences between the two sexes. Of the bands, those having molecular weights of 119,700, 100,500, 88,500 and 86,100 were unique to the female genital organs. On the other hand, the male genital organs showed unique bands having molecular weights of 87,100, 82,800, and 15,500. An unique band common to the genital organs of both sexes was one having 49,300 MW. In the digestive organs evenly distributed protein bands of molecular weights of l0,000-120,000 were observed. The band having 59,800 MW was unique to the digestive organs. The number of bands obtained from body fluid was comparatively small, and the number of bands having less than 30,000 MW was 7, accounting for 55 percent of the total protein amounts. The bands having 47,600 MW and 31,400 MW were unique to body fluid.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; Ascaris suum ; biochemistry ; protein