Laboratório de Toxinologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Acta Trop. 2013 Sep;127(3):191-8. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.05.002. Epub 2013 May 16.
Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a parasitic nematode that can cause severe gastrointestinal disease, known as abdominal angiostrongiliasis, in humans. This paper presents the characterization of first- and third-stage larvae and male and female adult worms of A. costaricensis by scanning electron and light microscopy. Several novel anatomical structures were identified by scanning electron microscopy, including details of the cuticular striations of the spicules in male worms and a protective flap of the cuticle covering the vulvar aperture in female worms. Other taxonomic features revealed by light microscopy include the gubernaculum and the esophageal-intestinal valve. The use of two microscopy techniques allowed a detailed characterization of the morphology of this nematode. A number of previously identified taxonomic features, such as the striated nature of the spicules and the lateral alae were confirmed; however, the use of scanning electron microscopy resulted in a reassessment of the correct number of papillae distributed around the oral opening and behind the cloacal opening. These observations, in combination with light microscopy-based characterization of the gubernaculum and esophageal valves, have allowed a more detailed description of this nematode taxonomy.
安氏异尖线虫是一种寄生线虫，可引起人类严重的胃肠道疾病，称为腹血管异尖线虫病。本文通过扫描电子显微镜和光学显微镜对安氏异尖线虫的一、三龄幼虫和雌雄成虫进行了描述。通过扫描电子显微镜发现了几个新的解剖结构，包括雄虫的刺结构的表皮条纹的细节和雌虫的覆盖阴门的表皮瓣的保护瓣。通过光学显微镜揭示的其他分类特征包括生殖腺和食管-肠瓣。两种显微镜技术的使用使这种线虫的形态得到了详细的描述。确认了一些先前确定的分类特征，如刺的条纹性质和侧翅；然而，扫描电子显微镜的使用导致对口腔周围和肛门后面分布的正确数量的乳突进行了重新评估。这些观察结果，结合基于光学显微镜的生殖腺和食管瓣的特征描述，使这种线虫的分类学得到了更详细的描述。
