Oliveira-Menezes A, Lanfredi-Rangel A, Lanfredi R M
Laboratório de Biologia de Helmintos Otto Wucherer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, s/n Bloco G, CEP 21949-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Laboratório de Biologia de Protozoários e Unidade de Microscopia Eletrônica, Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Muniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, Candeal, Salvador, Bahia CEP 40296-710, Brazil.
J Helminthol. 2011 Jun;85(2):142-5. doi: 10.1017/S0022149X10000374. Epub 2010 Jul 26.
Physaloptera bispiculata (Nematoda: Spiruroidaea) is a parasite of Nectomys squamipes (Rodentia: Cricetidae), a water rat that only occurs in Brazil. Naturally infected rodents were captured in the municipality of Rio Bonito, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Adult P. bispiculata worms were collected, prepared and analysed by light and scanning electron microscopy. Under scanning electron microscopy, several eggs were seen glued by cement to the cloacal aperture. Light microscopy revealed that some male worms had an uncountable number of embryonated eggs in the ejaculatory duct, cloaca and also in the posterior portion of the intestine. The probable explanation is that the eggs developing in the female uterus are pumped by the female or sucked by the male to the cloacal opening and from this point to the intestine and ejaculatory duct. The male probably does not have the ability to expel the eggs and for this reason a large number were found in these organs. On the other hand, this could be an important adaptation for the parasite, i.e. male worms expelled by the host can carry a large number of eggs and spread them to intermediate hosts when ingested by these hosts. As far as we know this is the first record of a physalopterid nematode harbouring eggs in the cloacal region, ejaculatory duct or intestine.
双刺泡翼线虫（线虫纲：旋尾科）是鳞尾水鼠（啮齿目：仓鼠科）的一种寄生虫，而鳞尾水鼠仅分布于巴西。在巴西里约热内卢州里约博尼图市捕获了自然感染的啮齿动物。收集了双刺泡翼线虫的成虫，通过光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜进行制备和分析。在扫描电子显微镜下，可见数个虫卵通过黏性物质黏附在泄殖孔处。光学显微镜检查显示，一些雄虫的射精管、泄殖腔以及肠道后部有大量已受精的虫卵。可能的解释是，在雌虫子宫内发育的虫卵被雌虫泵出或被雄虫吸入泄殖孔，然后从这里进入肠道和射精管。雄虫可能没有排出虫卵的能力，因此在这些器官中发现了大量虫卵。另一方面，这可能是该寄生虫的一种重要适应性变化，即被宿主排出的雄虫可携带大量虫卵，当这些虫卵被中间宿主摄入时，便可将其传播给中间宿主。据我们所知，这是泡翼科线虫在泄殖区域、射精管或肠道中携带虫卵的首次记录。
