Serotonin and Neuropeptide FMRFamide in the Attachment Organs of Trematodes

N B Terenina; N D Kreshchenko; N B Mochalova; S O Movsesyan

doi:10.2478/helm-2018-0022

Serotonin and Neuropeptide FMRFamide in the Attachment Organs of Trematodes

Helminthologia. 2018 Jul 28;55(3):185-194. doi: 10.2478/helm-2018-0022. eCollection 2018 Sep.

Authors

N B Terenina¹, N D Kreshchenko², N B Mochalova¹, S O Movsesyan¹

Affiliations

¹ A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Center of Parasitology, 119071 Moscow, Leninsky pr. 33, Russia.
² Institute of Cell Biophysics of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Region, Pushchino, Institutskaya 3, Russia.

Abstract

The serotoninergic and FMRFamidergic nervous system of the attachment organs of trematodes were examined using immunocytochemical techniques and confocal scanning laser microscopy. Adult trematodes from eight families as well as cercariae and metacercariae from ten families were studied. TRITC-conjugated phalloidin was used to stain the muscle fibres. The serotonin- and FMRFamide-immunoreactive (IR) nerve cells and fibres were revealed to be near the muscle fibres of the oral and ventral suckers of the trematodes and their larvae. The results indicate the important role of neurotransmitters, serotonin and neuropeptide FMRFamide in the regulation of muscle activity in the attachment organs of trematodes and can be considered in perspective for the development of new anthelmintic drugs, which can interrupt the function of the attachment organs of the parasites.

Keywords: FMRFamide; Trematodes; attachment organs; nervous system; neurotransmitters; serotonin.