The migration and development of Filaroides hirthi larvae in dogs

Summary

The development of Filaroides hirthi has been shown to proceed through all 5 stages in the lungs of experimental dogs and the attendant morphological changes are described and illustrated. These observations are interpreted as proof that the unhatched larva of F. hirthi is the 1st stage and that the 1st stage is infective. Moults occurred at approximately 1, 2, 6 and 9 days after infection in the lung tissue. Larvae also developed in vitro to the doubly ensheathed 3rd stage which is the stage achieved by heteroxenous metastrongyloids in their molluscan intermediate hosts. The arrival of 1st-stage larvae in the lungs as early as 6h after oral administration and the anatomical distribution of larvae during the first 24 h indicates that larvae are transported from the alimentary tract to the lungs by way of the hepatic portal circulation, the mesenteric lymphatic drainage, or both. First-stage larvae and eggs containing 1st-stage larvae, when injected into the jugular vein, developed into adult F. hirthi lung- worms in the usual 5 week pre-patent period. This was interpreted as demonstrating that the canine alimentary canal, although undoubtedly the normal portal of entry, is not a site of reactions indispensable to the activation or development of the larvae. Eggs containing 1st-stage larvae, when introduced by jugular and portal venous and mesenteric lymphatic routes, yielded equivalent numbers of adult lungworms indicating that neither the hepatic capillary bed nor the mesenteric lymph nodes presented quantitatively significant impediments to their passage. The question is raised whether the mesenteric lymphatics really are the exclusive migration pathways of certain other species of metastrongyloid larvae. The suggestion is made that conventional studies based on the anatomical/time distribution of larvae be supplemented by intravascular experiments like those described in this report, to provide an independent line of evidence.