Morphology of Echinococcus granulosus protoscolex / Morfología de los Protoescolex de echinococcus granulosus

SUMMARY: Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus), is a tapeworm that spreads between intermediate and definitive hosts through the ingestion of fecal matter contaminated with the parasite's eggs. The life cycle consists of differentiation from eggs to oncospheres to embryos, which eventually form cysts in organs like the liver, lungs and others. Within these cysts are protoscolices, an intermediate stage of the parasite which develop into adult tapeworms once they infect their definitive hosts. When these hydatid cysts form in humans, it is known as Cystic Echinococcosis (CE). This disease is treated through surgical excision of the cysts and or chemotherapy with benzimidazole compounds. Understanding the morphology of the intermediate developmental stage of E. granulosus, protoscolex stage, can allow researchers to identify defining structural changes and protein functions that could be used to develop treatment modalities for CE. Unique characteristics in the tegumental surface during the protoescolex stage and proteins associated with cyst fertility have all been identified in previous research studies and bring researchers closer to understanding the underlying mechanisms of E. granulosus development, and consequently, means to disrupt it to achieve better control of the disease.

El Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus), es un cestodo que se propaga entre huéspedes intermedios y definitivos a través de la ingestión de materia fecal contaminada con los huevos del parásito. El ciclo de vida consiste en la diferenciación de huevos a oncosferas y embriones, que finalmente forman quistes en órganos como el hígado, los pulmones y otros. Dentro de estos quistes hay protoescólices, una etapa intermedia del parásito que se convierte en su forma adulta (tenia), una vez que infectan a sus huéspedes definitivos. Cuando estos quistes hidatídicos se desarrollan en seres humanos, se les conoce como equinococosis quística (EC). Esta enfermedad se trata mediante la extirpación quirúrgica de los quistes o la quimioterapia con compuestos benzimidazólicos. La comprensión de la morfología de la etapa de desarrollo intermedia del E. granulosus y la etapa de protosclex, puede permitir a los investigadores identificar cambios estructurales definidos y funciones de proteínas que podrían usarse para desarrollar modalidades de tratamiento para la CE. Las características únicas en la superficie tegumentaria durante la etapa de protoescolex y las proteínas asociadas con la fertilidad del quiste se han identificado en estudios de investigación anteriores y acercan a los investigadores a la comprensión de los mecanismos subyacentes del desarrollo del E. granulosus y, en consecuencia, los medios para interrumpirlo para lograr un mejor control de la enfermedad.

Can orbital hydatid cyst presents with acute visual loss? case report and literature review

Hydatid cyst [HC] disease is zoonotic disease caused by larvae of Echinococcus granulosus which is commonly affecting liver and lung or any organ or tissue in our body. central nervous system [CNS] can be involved at any place with or without brain involvement including skull, orbit, vertebral column and spinal cord. Orbital infestation is constituting less than 1% of all hydatid disease cases. There are few reported cases of orbital HC in the literatures that presented with acute visual loss and proptosis. In this article we are reporting a case of intramuscular orbital HC that presented with sever and acute visual loss with proptosis following trivial road traffic accident.

Novel route of infection in experimental model of hydatid disease.

Viable protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus injected into Swiss-albino mice by two different routes, viz. intraperitoneal and subcutaneous and in two different concentrations of 2000 and 1000 scolices, to observe the development of cysts have shown that subcutaneous route of infecting a mouse model is superior because of its low infecting dose and longer survival period of mouse. This finding should be helpful in experiments to observe the effect of drugs for the treatment of hydatidosis, in vivo, without the need of killing the mouse.