Ovine babesiosis is one of the most important tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases of small ruminants. The ovine parasite Babesia sp. Xinjiang is widespread in China. In this study, recombinant full-length XJrRAP-1aα2 (rhoptry-associated protein 1aα2) and C-terminal XJrRAP-1aα2 CT of Babesia sp. Xinjiang were expressed and used to evaluate their diagnostic potential for Babesia sp. Xinjiang infections by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Purified XJrRAP-1aα2 was tested for reactivity with sera from animals experimentally infected with Babesia sp. Xinjiang and other haemoparasites using Western blotting and ELISA. The results showed no cross-reactivities between XJrRAP-1aα2 CT and sera from animals infected by other pathogens. High level of antibodies against RAP-1a usually lasted 10 weeks post-infection (wpi). A total of 3690 serum samples from small ruminants in 23 provinces located in 59 different regions of China were tested by ELISA. The results indicated that the average positive rate was 30·43%, and the infections were found in all of the investigated provinces. This is the first report on the expression and potential use of a recombinant XJrRAP-1aα2 CT antigen for the development of serological assays for the diagnosis of ovine babesiosis, caused by Babesia sp. Xinjiang.

The phenotypic activity of two 5-nitroindazolinones, i.e. 2-benzyl-1-propyl (22) and 2-benzyl-1-butyl (24) derivatives, previously proposed as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi prototypes, was presently assayed on bloodstream trypomastigotes (BT) of the moderately drug-resistant Y strain. Further exploration of putative targets and cellular mechanisms involved in their activity was also carried out. Therefore, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution respirometry and flow cytometry procedures were performed on BT treated for up to 24 h with the respective EC50 value of each derivative. Results demonstrated that although 22 and 24 were not as active as benznidazole in this in vitro assay on BT, both compounds triggered important damages in T. cruzi that lead to the parasite death. Ultrastructural alterations included shedding events, detachment of plasma membrane and nuclear envelope, loss of mitochondrial integrity, besides the occurrence of a large number of intracellular vesicles and profiles of endoplasmic reticulum surrounding cytoplasmic organelles such as mitochondrion. Moreover, both derivatives affected mitochondrion leading to this organelle dysfunction, as reflected by the inhibition in oxygen consumption and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Altogether, the findings exposed in the present study propose autophagic processes and mitochondrial machinery as part of the mode of action of both 5-nitroindazolinones 22 and 24 on T. cruzi trypomastigotes.

Paragonimus westermani is one of the most medically important lung flukes and is widely distributed in Asia. It exhibits considerable variation in morphological, genetic and biological features. In central provinces of Vietnam, a high prevalence of metacercariae of this species has been reported from the crab intermediate host, Vietopotamon aluoiense. In this study, we detected P. westermani metacercariae in two additional crab hosts, Donopotamon haii in Quang Tri Province, central Vietnam and Indochinamon tannanti in Yen Bai Province in the north. The latter is a new locality for P. westermani in a northern region of Vietnam where P. heterotremus is the only species currently known to cause human paragonimiasis. Paragonimus westermani metacercariae found in Vietnam showed considerable morphological variation but slight genetic variation based on DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal ITS2 region and the mitochondrial 16S gene. Co-infection of the same individual crabs with P. westermani and P. heterotremus and/or some other Paragonimus species was found frequently, suggesting potential for co-infection in humans. The findings of the present study emphasize the need for highly specific molecular and immunodiagnostic methods to differentially diagnose between P. westermani and P. heterotremus infections.

The accumulation of heavy metals in macroparasites of fish has been widely studied in freshwater environments. Less is known about metal uptake in cestodes parasitizing marine fish. Lacistorhynchus dollfusi is a common larval cestode parasite of Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus), a flatfish species inhabiting Santa Monica Bay. The ability of this cestode to concentrate metals in its tissues was compared with metal levels in its sanddab host. Fish and cestode tissue were analysed for 14 elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The elements analysed were silver (Ag), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), potassium (K), lead (Pb), rubidium (Rb), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), titanium (Ti) and zinc (Zn). Three of the 14 metals (Cu, Hg and Zn) were significantly greater in concentration in L. dollfusi compared with their levels in the liver, intestine and muscle of their fish host. They ranked in concentration from highest to lowest as follows: Zn > Cu > Hg. The ability of the cestode L. dollfusi to uptake metals at higher concentrations than its host warrants its consideration as a candidate for a heavy metal accumulation indicator of pollution exposure in Pacific sanddab.

Cells of Cryptocaryon irritans at different life history stages were studied using both light and electron microscopy. The characteristics of several organelles were revealed for the first time at the ultrastructural level. It was confirmed that the cytostome of trophonts, protomonts and theronts was surrounded by cilium–palp triplets rather than ciliary triplets. The nematodesmata underlying the circumoral dikinetids were single bundles, whereas these were always paired in Prorodontids. Toxicysts were present in late-stage tomonts and theronts, but were absent in trophonts and protomonts. We posited that toxicysts might play a role in infection and invasion of host-fish tissue by theronts. The adoral brosse was unlike that of any other family of the class Prostomatea based on its location and morphology. Membranous folds were present in trophonts, protomonts and theronts. These folds were longer and more highly developed in C. irritans than in exclusively free-living prostome ciliates suggesting that they might be linked to parasitism in C. irritans. Trophonts, protomonts and theronts had multiple contractile vacuoles. The basic ultrastructure of the contractile vacuole of C. irritans was similar to that of other kinetofragminophoran ciliates. They might play different roles in different stages of the life cycle since their ultrastructure varied among trophonts, protomonts and theronts.

Obesity is the main causal factor for metabolic syndrome and chronic systemic inflammation, which impacts on immune function and increases susceptibility to pathogens. Here, we investigated the effect of obesity on the outcome of visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmaniasis infantum chagasi. C57BL/6 mice fed with high-sugar and butter diet (HSB) showed a significant increase in body weight, adiposity index and morphological changes in adipocyte. To investigate the consequences of obesity on the specific immunity against Leishmania, both control and HSB diet groups were infected with 107L. infantum chagasi promastigotes in the eighth-week after diet started and euthanized 4 weeks later. HSB-diet fed mice exhibited a significantly higher parasite burden in both liver and spleen compared with control- diet group. Gonadal adipocyte tissue from HSB-diet mice showed increased TNF-α, IL-6 and leptin and diminished IL-10 production compared with control. Cytokines production analysis in the spleen and liver from these animals also demonstrated higher production of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6 and nitric oxide and diminished production of IL-10 and TGF-β, which correlate with inflammatory foci and the cell hyperplasia observed. Taken together, obesity can interfere with responses to pathogen-derived signals and impair the development of protective anti-Leishmania immunity.