Entodiniomorphid ciliates from the wild lowland gorilla with the description of a new genus and three new species.

The entodiniomorphid ciliates in gorilla in Gabon, West Africa, were surveyed and observed by light and scanning electron microscopy. As a result, 4 species belonging to the families Troglodytellidae and Cycloposthiidae were identified, and 3 of them were new to science. These species were described as Goriliophilus thoracatus n.g., n.sp., Troglodytella gabonensis n.sp., and Prototapirella gorillae n.sp. SEM observations of Goriliophilus and Troglodytella revealed in particular the surface structures of somatic ciliary bands in which the cilia extended as rectangular tufts from uniformly distributed basements, smooth-surfaced anterior cap, armature-like ridges, and the presence of a left-ventral groove. From the similarity and difference of the morphology among these species, their phylogenetical relationships were discussed.

Etude ultrastructurale de Troglodytella gorillae, cilié de l'intestin des gorilles: Considérations sur la systématique des ciliés entodiniomorphes.

This ultrastructural study of the entodiniomorphid Troglodytella gorillae provides information on the constitution of the cortex, which is composed of the plasma membrane, a thick epiplasm, microtubules, and a microfibrillar ecto-endoplasmic limit (cortex type I). This observation allows us to group the family Troglodytellidae with the families Cycloposthiidae and Ophryoscolecidae. These 3 families should be separated from the families Tripalmariidae and Spirodiniidae which possess a more complex cortex, with longitudinal dense tracts inserted between the microtubular layer and the microfibrillar ecto-endoplasmic limit (type II). Terminology is discussed.

[New atractid nematode parasites of the chimpanzee and gorilla in Gabon]. / Nouveaux nématodes atractides parasites du chimpanzé et du gorille au Gabon.

Females of the genus Probstmayria, collected in feces of wild Chimpanzees and Gorillas, living in the Lope-Okanda reserve in Gabon, are described. The cephalic structures of P. gombensis File, 1976 from Chimpanzee and P. gabonensis n. sp. from Gorilla are similar to those of the other species of the genus. In contrast, the cephalic structures of P. inversa n. sp. from Chimpanzee and P. goodallae n. sp. from Gorilla are unusual; they have an inverse symmetry (one ventral lip and two latero-dorsal lips). The original characteristics of the genus Probstmayria are analysed.

Renin angiotensin aldosterone axis, including aldosterone binding globulin and blood pressure in three species of nonhuman primates.

Variables of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis with inclusion of protein binding to specific plasma globulin (ABG), plasma cortisol, and the blood pressure (BP) were measured in 24 chimpanzees, 4 gorillas, and 16 cynomolgus monkeys. ABG activity was readily detected in plasma from the primates. In chimpanzees and gorillas, all the variables under baseline conditions were similar to those in humans. In cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis), both the ABG binding capacity for aldosterone and the diastolic or systolic BP were significantly higher (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01 respectively) than in chimpanzees and gorillas.

A coprological study of parasitism in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) in Indonesia.

Fecal specimens from 89 orangutans (36 captive, 34 rehabilitant, and 19 wild) at different locations in Indonesia were examined. Strongyloides spp, Balantidium coli, and strongylid nematodes were the most common infestations detected. A syngamid nematode, Mammomonogamus sp, is reported for the first time in orangutans.

The intestinal entodiniomorph ciliates of wild lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Gabon, West Africa.

Examination of 109 fecal samples from wild lowland gorillas revealed the presence of five species of entodiniomorph ciliates: Troglodytella abrassarti, Troglodytella gorillae, and three unclassified species. These latter three species were also found in the feces of a captive gorilla in Gabon and are considered to be intestinal parasites or commensals.