Department of Ophthalmology, Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 157 Daming Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing, China.
Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, China Pharmaceutical University, No. 639, Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 7;14(1):23357. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-74178-x.
The prevalence of human Demodex mites has surged in recent years, prompting significant concern among both patients and the medical community. This study aimed to investigate the survival duration and morphological alterations of Demodex folliculorum under diverse temperature conditions and in various culture media. We employed the eyelash sampling technique to procure the mites. The collected specimens were then subjected to culture at two distinct temperature ranges (16-22 °C and 4 °C) across a spectrum of media, including 30% tea tree oil (TTO), phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), pure water, 0.9% physiological saline, 5 µg/ml propidium iodide (PI), liquid paraffin, glycerol, and a blank culture medium. Post-administration, the mites' activity and morphological changes were meticulously documented. Our findings indicate that the survival span of Demodex mites within the same medium was notably extended at 4 °C compared to room temperature. Specifically, under 4 °C, the use of liquid paraffin as a culture medium yielded the longest survival time of 12 days, surpassing all other conditions. Remarkably, the morphological integrity of the mites in this group remained largely unaltered. These results suggest that 4 °C is the optimal temperature for the in vitro cultivation of Demodex mites, offering insights into the environmental preferences of these organisms and potentially informing future therapeutic strategies.
近年来，人体蠕形螨的患病率急剧上升，引起了患者和医学界的高度关注。本研究旨在探讨不同温度条件和不同培养介质中，毛囊蠕形螨的存活时间和形态变化。我们采用睫毛取样技术获取螨虫。采集的标本随后在两个不同的温度范围（16-22°C 和 4°C）下，在一系列培养基中进行培养，包括 30%茶树油（TTO）、磷酸盐缓冲盐水（PBS）、纯水、0.9%生理盐水、5µg/ml 碘化丙啶（PI）、液体石蜡、甘油和空白培养基。给药后，详细记录螨虫的活动和形态变化。我们的研究结果表明，在相同的培养基中，4°C 下蠕形螨的存活时间明显长于室温。具体来说，在 4°C 下，液体石蜡作为培养介质时，螨虫的存活时间最长，为 12 天，超过了所有其他条件。值得注意的是，这一组螨虫的形态完整性基本保持不变。这些结果表明，4°C 是体外培养蠕形螨的最佳温度，为这些生物的环境偏好提供了深入了解，并可能为未来的治疗策略提供信息。
