Related Experiment Videos
Ixodes dammini: evidence for salivary prostacyclin secretion
J M Ribeiro1, G T Makoul, D R Robinson
1Department of Tropical Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
The Journal of Parasitology
|December 1, 1988
Summary
Ixodes dammini ticks secrete prostacyclin (PGI2) during feeding. This prostaglandin aids tick feeding by counteracting host hemostasis and promoting blood flow.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Entomology
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
Background:
- Ixodes dammini ticks are vectors for various pathogens.
- Tick feeding can elicit host inflammatory and hemostatic responses.
- Prostaglandins play diverse roles in physiological processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and potential role of prostaglandins in Ixodes dammini tick saliva.
- To identify specific prostaglandins secreted by ticks during feeding.
Main Methods:
- Tick saliva was induced using pilocarpine.
- Quantification of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha was performed using radioimmunoassay.
- Identification was confirmed by reversed-phase chromatography.
Main Results:
- Abundant amounts of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (523 +/- 140 ng/ml) were detected in tick saliva.
- 6-keto-PGF1 alpha is the stable degradation product of prostacyclin (PGI2).
Conclusions:
- Ixodes dammini ticks secrete prostacyclin (PGI2) during feeding.
- This secretion likely facilitates tick feeding by inhibiting host hemostasis and increasing local blood flow.
- Tick prostacyclin may also prevent inflammatory responses like leukocyte degranulation.