The effect of anticoagulant on the early migration ofBrugia pahangimicrofilariae inCulex pipienssusceptible or refractory toB. pahangi

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Of ingested B. pahangi microfilariae, 20.7% migrated from the blood-meals of a selected susceptible strain of C. pipiens compared with only 0.9% in a selected refractory strain. The addition of heparin to the blood increased the proportion (18.4%-20.4%) of microfilariae migrating to the thorax of the selected refractory C. pipiens to a level similar to that observed in the susceptible strain, but these microfilariae subsequently died. The addition of heparin did not increase migration rate in susceptible mosquitoes. High heparin concentrations (300-20,000 IU/ml blood) reduced the size of mosquito blood-meals and consequently the number of microfilariae ingested. The proportions of microfilariae which migrated also fell at high heparin concentrations, in susceptible and in refractory mosquitoes. The gene sb, which controls susceptibility of C. pipiens to B. pahangi, seems to have 2 effects: 1st allows a proportion of microfilariae to penetrate the gut wall perhaps by influencing the clotting time of the blood-meal, and allows subsequent development of the microfilariae in the thoracic muscles.