Exploration of animal models to study the life cycle of Fasciola hepatica

The parasite Fasciola hepatica is an important zoonotic parasite. The development of an animal model of F. hepatica's life cycle is critical for studying the biological characteristics of the parasite in snails and mammals. Eggs of F. hepatica of bovine origin were cultured, and metacercariae w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 2022-09, Vol.149 (10), p.1349-1355
Main Authors: Fang, Wen, Yang, Jin, Wang, Hai-yin, Chen, Shao-rong, Li, Ke-rong, Liu, Yu-hua, Duan, Yi, Li, Tian-mei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal models
Animals
Bile ducts
Cattle
Disease Models, Animal
Drug dosages
Eggs
Fasciola hepatica
Fasciola hepatica - physiology
Fascioliasis - parasitology
Feces
Gastropoda
Hepatitis
Infections
Laboratories
Lesions
Life Cycle Stages
Life cycles
Liver
Mammals
Metacercariae
Mice
Mollusks
Parasites
Parasitic diseases
Rabbits
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Rodents
Snails
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Summary:The parasite Fasciola hepatica is an important zoonotic parasite. The development of an animal model of F. hepatica's life cycle is critical for studying the biological characteristics of the parasite in snails and mammals. Eggs of F. hepatica of bovine origin were cultured, and metacercariae were obtained after infection of Galba pervia snails. The life cycle system of F. hepatica was initiated in 2 different animals by orally infecting rabbits, SD rats and Kunming mice with the metacercariae. The animals' survival after infection, parasite migration in the animals and pathological damage to the liver were observed. We discovered that rabbits died due to acute suppurative hepatitis 60–69 days after infection, and eggs were found in the feces on day 63 of infection. The liver of SD rats showed punctate lesions on day 3 of infection, and further changes occurred as the infection progressed. However, liver repair was observed at week 9. SD rats survived for more than a year after infection and continued the F. hepatica life cycle. The liver lesions in Kunming mice after infection were similar but more severe than those in SD rats. Death was observed on the 31st post-infection day. We discovered that while rabbits, SD rats and Kunming mice can all be used as animal models of F. hepatica, SD rats are more suitable experimental animals in terms of tolerance and pathological response.
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182022000609