The life history of Hepatozoon leptodactyli (Lesage, 1908) Pessoa, 1970: a parasite of the common laboratory animal: the frog of the genus Leptodactylus

Abstract

The main object of the present paper is to furnish a brief account to the knowledgement of Protozoa parasitic in common Brazilian frog of the genus Leptodactylus for general students in Zoology and for investigators that use this frog as a laboratory animal. Hepatozoon leptodactyli (Haemogregarina leptodactyli) was found in two species of frogs - Leptodactylus ocellatus and L. pentadactylus - in which develop schizogony whereas sporogony occurs in the leech Haementeria lutzi as was obtainded in experimental conditions. Intracellular forms have been found in peripheral circulation, chiefly in erythrocytes, but we have found them in leukocytes too. Tissue stages were found in frog, liver, lungs, spleen, gut, brain and heart. The occurence of hemogregarine in the Central Nervous System was recorded by Costa & al,(13) and Ball (2). Some cytochemical methods were employed in attempt to differentiate gametocytes from trophozoites in the peripheral blood and to characterize the cystic membrane as well. The speorogonic cycle was developed in only one specie of leech. A brief description of the parasite is given.<br>Os autores apresentam uma revisão da hemogregarina parasita de rãs do gênero Leptodactylus. A posisção sistemática sob o ponto de vista genérico fica definida com os estudos do ciclo no vetor Haementeria lutzi, publicados em nota preliminar por um dos autores (Pessoa 24) quando utilizou rãs L. petadactylus em trabalho experimental. Este trabalho experimental continua sendo desenvolvido no Laboratório de Protozoologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, utilizando a rã L. ocellatus e as sanguessugas Haementeria vizuttoi e Haementeria gracilis. Algumas técnicas citoquímicas foram empregadas para melhor caracterização dos esquizontes e das granulações do citoplasma das formas sanguíneas

New insights on the diversity of Brazilian anuran blood parasites: With the description of three new species of Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) from Leptodactylidae anurans

“…Therefore, the present study corroborates with those described above, since the Leptodactylidae includes species with a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Moreover, although there are only a few reports on Hepatozoon prevalence among Brazilian frogs, individuals of Leptodactylidae are commonly reported to be parasitised by species of Hepatozoon ( Cunha and Muniz, 1927 ; Da Costa, et al 1973 ; Leal et al, 2015 ; Ferreira et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Several species of Hepatozoon have been described in anurans from Africa, Asia, and Europe ( Levine, 1988 ; Netherlands et al, 2014a , 2014b ) and according to Netherlands et al (2018) , there are 45 recognized species of Hepatozoon infecting anurans globally. In Brazil the only species of Hepatozoon described from an anuran hosts is Hepatozoon leptodactyli (Lesage, 1908) Pessoa, 1970 infecting species of Leptodactylus based solely on morphological data ( Costa et al, 1973 ). Costa et al (1973) screened 90 Leptodactylus latrans (Steffen, 1815) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (Laurent, 1768) reporting 17 infected with H. leptodactyli.…”

“…In Brazil the only species of Hepatozoon described from an anuran hosts is Hepatozoon leptodactyli (Lesage, 1908) Pessoa, 1970 infecting species of Leptodactylus based solely on morphological data ( Costa et al, 1973 ). Costa et al (1973) screened 90 Leptodactylus latrans (Steffen, 1815) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (Laurent, 1768) reporting 17 infected with H. leptodactyli. Furthermore , the leech Haememteria lutzi Pinto, 1920 was considered as the possible vector of H. leptodactyli ( Costa et al, 1973 ).…”

“… Costa et al (1973) screened 90 Leptodactylus latrans (Steffen, 1815) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (Laurent, 1768) reporting 17 infected with H. leptodactyli. Furthermore , the leech Haememteria lutzi Pinto, 1920 was considered as the possible vector of H. leptodactyli ( Costa et al, 1973 ).…”

Molecular and morphological description of the first Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) species infecting a neotropical turtle, with an approach to its phylogenetic relationships

“…Among Haemogregarines, those belonging to the Hepatozoon genus (Miller, 1908) are the most common parasites reported infecting mammals (Wenyon, 1926; Clark, 1958; Desser, 1990), birds (Hoare, 1924; Merino et al ., 2014; Valkiūnas et al ., 2016), amphibians (da Costa et al ., 1973; Netherlands et al ., 2018) and reptiles-like snakes (Ball et al ., 1967; Smith et al ., 1994), lizards (Mackerras, 1962; Desser, 1997) and crocodiles (Carini, 1909; Soares et al ., 2017); but they are rarely seen in chelonians (Cook et al ., 2009). Haemogregarines are heteroxenous coccidians, their life cycle involves blood-sucking invertebrate vectors (fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, etc.)…”