Experimental platynosomosis: Characterization of parasite development in the mouse model

Despite the veterinary importance of species of Platynosomum, biliary trematode parasites of birds and mammals with worldwide distribution and a growing role in feline practice, the basic parasitological aspects of platynosomosis is still not completely understood due to the scarcity of studies in experimental models. In the present study, metacercariae of Platynosomum illiciens obtained from naturally infected tropical house geckos (Hemidactylus mabouia) in an urban area of Brazil were force-fed to mice of the AKR/J strain (100 metacercariae/animal). Groups of mice were euthanized at 60, 120, 160 and 240 days post-infection (DPI), and the biliary tree of the animals (intrahepatic biliary ducts, common hepatic and bile ducts, cystic duct and gallbladder) were examined for the presence of adult parasites. Recovered flukes were counted, classified by their site of origin (i.e., intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary ducts) and morphologically analyzed under light microscope. The number of adult parasites obtained at 60, 120, 160 and 240 DPI was 22 ± 6 (16-32), 41 ± 14 (18-48), 27 ± 11 (18-40) and 20 ± 6 (13-30), respectively, and no significant differences in total worm burden at the different experimental times were observed. However, 41%, 51%, 75% and 95% of the parasites were found in the common hepatic and bile ducts at 60, 120, 160 and 240 DPI, respectively, suggesting the occurrence of parasitic migration to the extrahepatic biliary tree during infection; however, no parasites were observed in the gallbladder or cystic duct. Regarding the morphometric analysis, progressive growth of P. illiciens during the experimental time was observed, and the parasites collected from the extrahepatic bile ducts were larger than those obtained from the intrahepatic ducts at the same time of infection. Parasites obtained from the extrahepatic biliary tree of the mice at 160 DPI had similar measurements to those of parasites obtained at 240 DPI, and those measurements were equivalent to those reported for parasites from natural hosts (cats, birds and nonhuman primates). The results obtained provide new insights into the biology of P. illiciens, and the kinetics of the parasite development of this species is presented here for the first time. The potential use of mice as an experimental model for P. illiciens is presented and the implications of the results obtained in that model for feline platynosomosis are briefly discussed.