Ultrastructure of reproductive system of female Litomosoides chagasfilhoi Moraes-Neto, Lanfredi and De Souza, 1997 (Nematoda: Filarioidea)

Abstract

The ultrastructure of the female reproductive system of the filariid Litomosoides chagasfilhoi by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is described for the first time. The ovary is composed of primary oocytes surrounded by a single layer of epithelial cells apposed on the basal laminae. The ovarian wall is completely filled with primary oocytes, which are arranged radially and are centrally connected around the rachis. The uterine wall consists of muscular fibers surrounded by a basal lamina and the epithelium underlying the lamina. Ameboid and aflagellate spermatozoa are present inside the distal portion of the uterus, some of them near oocytes, which present bacteria in its cytoplasm. An eletrondense well-defined eggshell covers the zygotes, which presents in its cytoplasm bacteria arranged in groups. These bacteria are also observed in embryos and in the hypodermal cord. These ultrastructural aspects of L. chagasfilhoi female worms presented herein contribute to the knowledge of the morphology and embryonary development of this filariid, providing means for further comparative analyses of the action of anti-filarial drugs. Besides this, the presence of bacteria Wolbachia-like is being reported for the first time in this species, showing the great importance of this experimental model of study.

Effects of albendazole on Litomosoides chagasfilhoi (Nematoda: Filarioidea) females in vivo

“…An important feature of the hypodermal cord of L. chagasfilhoi was the presence of Wolbachia-like bacteria in untreated worms (Cárdenas and Lanfredi 2008). Wolbachia sp.…”

“…Experimental models have been used in various filarial studies (Moraes-Neto et al 2006;Cárdenas and Lanfredi 2008), shedding light on the biology and the host-parasite relationship of these nematodes and enhancing the knowledge of drug action (Franz et al 1987(Franz et al , 1990.…”

Comparative analysis of small RNAs released by the filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis in vitro and in vivo

“…sigmodontis [7]. We infer that adult female worms prolifically release both proteins and sRNAs in vitro , perhaps as a component of the uterine fluids (released during mf birth), coupling, defecation, or other physiological processes [63–66]. A key question in this field is whether any of the miRNAs detected in vivo are derived from gravid adult females, the target of many diagnostic strategies [17].…”