Cells capable of transferring immunity to Trichinella spiralis, i.e. of accelerating adult worm expulsion, were present in the mesenteric lymph nodes of mice infected for 4, 6 or 8 days, but not in mice infected for only 2 days. The time-course of worm expulsion in mice infected on the day of transfer was similar in recipients of day 8 cells, expulsion becoming marked only when the recipients had been infected for at least 6 days. Transfer of cells 4 or 6 days after infection did not result in an accelerated worm expulsion; transfer 1 or 2 weeks before infection did not enhance the level of immunity in recipient mice. In contrast to the results obtained with mesenteric lymph node cells (MLNC) no immunity was trsnsferred when recipients were given spleen cells taken from donors infected for 8 days. It is suggested that MLNC do not cause worm expulsion directly, but cooperate with another component of the host's defence mechanism. Accelerated expulsion in recipients of cells was accompanied by a premature decline in fecundity of female worms. Evidence is presented to show that worm expulsion and impaired reproduction may represent independent aspects of the immune response to T. spiralis.

Fifty-six sheep, worm-free birth, were each given a sigle infection of 50 000 Haemonchus contortus larvae at varying at varying times over a 2 year period. They were killed from 13 to 89 days infection and the lengths of both male and female parasites measured. Using a computer, growth curves for each sex were constructed and the relative lengths of the worms in each infection were calculated by dividing their measured lengths by the lenghts predicted by the appropriate curve. Since there was no significant difference between the relation length of male and female worms in an infection, the mean value was used in further analyses. Differences in sex of host and duration of infection had no significant effect on the relative length of parasites. There was a close relation between relative length and the time of year of infection. The relation was cyclical and closely followed a sine curve with a maximum at day 90 and a minimum at day 275 of the year. Arrested development at the 4th larval stage occurred at the time of year risen again. It is suggested that this cyclic change in growth pattern and arrested development is controlled by the seasonal variation in concentration of a substances present in the host’s blood. Parasite relative length was also related to sheep age, but the relationship observed was largely an artifact of the close birth dates of many of the sheep.

The longevity and infectivity of isolated populations of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes were studied. Following chloroquine treatment gametocyte numbers fell with a constant rate of loss over a period of 16–24days; the populations had a half-life of 2·4 days. The sex ratio stayed constant throughout at 4 female:1 male. The ability of the microgametocytes to exflagellate and the infectivity of the population to mosquitoes persisted for 3 weeks. Antibodies to the gametocytes were detected but not in every patient studied. It was concluded that the gametocytes of P. falciparum are both long-lived and show persistent infectivity to mosquitoes. They can stimulatae antibody production but the immune response appears to play no part in their elimination, which probably takes place in the spleen as a part of the normal process of removing old, damaged and malformed red cells.

Mice which had been pre-treated with killed Corynebacterium parvum given intravenously or intraperitoneally, but not subcutaneously, were completely resistant ot infection withBabesia microti or B. rodhaini, and protected from death caused by Plasmodium vinckeior P. chabaudiinfection. There is evidence that the parasites died within circulating erythrocytes. This occurred much too soon for a specific antibody response to be evoked, and no antibody could be detected by the indirect fluorescent-anitbody technique. Thus it is suggested that a non-secific soluble mediator may play an important role in the protection observed.

Parkin (1975) considered that the water content of the unhatched 3rd-stage larva of Nematodirus battus increased as it approached hatching, and then fell immediately after the larva escaped from the egg-shell, to the very low value for estimated water content for hydrated individuals of 43·7%. A repetition of this work suggests that these results are in error. Prior to hatching, the water content of larvae remained constant; after hatching there was a marked increase in water content to an estimated value for fully hydrated individuals of 74·5%, a value more in keeping with other findings.

When mice were irradiated immediately before infection with Trichinella spiralis there was a profound and long-lasting interference with their ability to expel adult worms from the intestine. Irradiation given after the fifth day of infection was progressively less effective in this respect. The ability to expel worms was not restored when mesenteric lymph node cells (MLNC) were transferred (a) on the day of infection in mice irradiated one day previously, or (b) on day 7 of an infection in mice irradiated on day 6, even though the MLNC transferred immunity to intact recipients. Transfer of bone marrow (BM) alone was also without effect. However, worm explusion was restored if, following irradiation and injection of BM, 10 days were allowed for BM differentiation before transfer of MLNC. This restoration was effective even after lethal levels of irradiation and was clearly dependent upon a donor-derived BM component cooperating with, or responding to, the activity of the transferred MLNC. The possibility that the BM component is non-lymphoid in nature is discussed.

After infection with Eimeria necatrix, chick intestinal cells undergo a profound increase in size. Herien, we describe methods for isolating and purifying infected cells containing second-generation schizonts at Various times post-infection. Our purification procoedures depended upon three fundamental properties of infected cells: namely (1) large size, (2) resistance to shearing and (3) decreased susceptibility to osmotic shock in hypotonic solutions. The availability of simple techniques for isolating infected whole cells should prove valuable in elucidating various intracellular aspects of infection during schizogony.

The effect of different relative humidities on the survival of individual larvae and adults of Ditylenchus dispasci and D. myceliophagus has been examined; experiments were carried out at 5 and 18°C with D. myceliophagusand at 18°C with D. dipsaci. Survival of both species was enhanced when they were dried at high humidities and, for D. myceliophagus, by the lower temperature. The survival of all stages of D. myceliophagus was poor. Generally it was expressed in minutes only; 4th-and 3rd-stage larvae, however, were marginally better at surviving drying than adults and much better than 2nd-stage larvae.

Although the 4th-stage larva of D. dipsaci was overwhelmingly superior to all other stages, the 3rd stage, and to a lesser extent, the adult of this species also showed remarkable powers of survival to desiccation. In general, survival of 4th-, 3rd- and 2nd-stage larvae could be expressed in weeks, days and minutes respectively; for adults, survival was expressed in hours at relative humidites under 50% but in days at higher relative humidites.

The results are discussed in relation to the survival value of the aggregations formed by these species; the validity of the term ‘resistantstage’ as applied to the 4th-stage larva of D. dipsaci is assessed.

The development and growth of Haemonchus contortus was studied in the stomach of the laboratory rabbit. Less than 1% of the ensheathed infective larvae givrn to rabbits become established, whereas after exsheathment in vitro under physiological conditions, 20–30% of the larvae administered developed to nthe 4th stage. Following doses of up to 10000 larvae, nearly all worms were lost from the 16th to the 21st day after infection, but after doses of 50000 larvae considerable numbers of 4th-stage larvae were recovered 25 days after infection. No adult worms were recovered and no eggs were found in the faeces. Infection was accompanied by inflammation, haemorrhage, disruption and flattening of the mucus secreting cells and by mononuclear infiltration. No cellular reactions in the immediate vicinity of the nematodes in the mucosa or changes in the pH of the stomach contents were observed.

At a temperature of 27°C the external cuticular membrane of the first larval stage (L1) of Meloidogyne javanica is formed within a day of the start of elongation of the embryo within the egg. The first and only moult within the egg starts to occur 50 h after the commencement of elongation. Thus the cuticle of the L1 is shed approximately a day after its formation. It is much thinner than the cuticle of the L2, is not covered during its formation by a closely adherent cuticle in the process of being moulted and its outermost membrane may be formed differently.

Unlike in other acanthocephalans, the overian balls of Centrorhynchus corvi are complex and are composed of 24–30 ovarian ball units. Each ovarian ball unit consists of three structural and functional units – the oogonial syncytium, developing oogenetic cells and the supporting syncytium – complementary to the ovarian balls of other acanthocephalans. Three metamorphic stages of the nuclei in the oogonial syncytium are described, depending on the nuclear morphology, chromatin structure and appearance of the nucleolus. Third-stage nuclei bulge out at the periphery of the oogonial syncytium and are surrounded by its cytoplasm and a thin membrane. Ultimately these are separated from the oogonial syncytium to from oogonia containing small amounts of cytoplasmic components derived from the oogonial syncytium. Nuclei of the young oogonia, oognia at the budding stage, and 3rd-stage nuclei of the oogonial syncytium all possess nucleoli and are similar also in their nuclear dimensions and cytochemical affinities. Nuclear resemblances, and cytoplasmic similarities of the oogonia and oogonial syncytium with regard to the presence of lipids, RNA and proteins support the concept of the origin of oogonia from the oogonial syncytium.

The free oogonia divide mitotically in the cellular zone where they undergo a single mitotic division and the resulting oocytes enter the prophase of meiosis. I. The meiotic primary oocytes in contrast to the permeiotic primary oocytes of other acanthoscephalans enter the growth phase which is closely accompanied by the accumulation of various ooplasmic components such as basophilic yolk nucleus which is composed of RNA, proteins, lipoproteins and phospholipids. Histochemical features of the oogonial and supporting syncytium are described.

A procedure is described for the preparation of purified nuclei of chick intestinal cells infected with Eimeria necatrix. During second-generation schizogony the host-cell membrane becomes resistant to homogenization, hypotonic shock and ultrasonication. However, brief treatment with a low concentration of trypsin (0·001 ) will disrupt the cell membrane. Thereafter, the nuclei can be selectively harvested from contaminating nuclear types and schizonts by a series of centrifugations. Electron microscopy and Feulgen—DNA microspectrophotometry showed that the nuclear preparations retained their integrity with little, if any, loss of DNA. Chemical determinations confirmed that host-cell nuclear DNA synthesis was stimulated by conccidial infection and further established that quantitatively there was a coincident increase in the amount of host nuclear RNA during schizogony. It is now feasible to examine directly the effects of coccidial infection upon the host's nuclear apparatus.

Vaccination with whole male worm extract (AMA), stichoseome extract (SA) and a short-term inculbation fluid (EXA) of adult Trichuris muris induced a high degree of protective immunity in mice as assessed by reduction in larval worm burden.

Immunodiffusion of AMA against rabbit anti-AMA serum revealed five precipitin lines, one of which was common to both EXA and SA with which only single lines were obtained.

Physico-chemical tests suggested that the antigen is a protein and that carbohydrate, lipid and DNA do not contribute to its antigenicity. Partial fractionation was obtained with ammonium sulphate. All preparations with immunogenic activity showed the common line of EXA on immunodiffusion.

It is concluded that one of the protective immunogens is a protein which can be associated with the precipitin line and originates in the stichosome.

Photoleter anterouterus Fischthal & Nasir, 1974, from Pelecanus occidentalis Linnaeus and Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Gmelin from Florida, USA and the ventrogenital complexes of Photoleter gastrophilus (Kossack, 1910) from Delphinus delphis Linnaeus from Queensland, Australia and of Phocitrema fusiforme Goto & Ozaki, 1930 from Alopex lagopus (Linnaeus) and Phoca vitulina Linnaeus from Alaska are redescribed. The genus Photoleter Odhner, 1914 is emended and compared with Phocitrema Goto & Ozaki, 1930 and both genera are compared with members of, and as a result transferred from the family Opisthorchiidae Looss, 1899 to, the subfamily Centrocestinae Looss, 1899, family Heterophyidae Odhner, 1914.

A new technique for determining the trypanocidal activity of body fluids has been devised, using very small quantities in the wells of plastic microtest plates.

The activities of blood and tissue fluid of rabbits have been measured after the injection of melarsoprol, suramin, diminazene aceturate and isometamidium chloride. Activity against Trypanosoma (Trypanozoon)brucei Persisted in body fluids for a shorter time in treated normal rabbits than in treated rabbits infected with the tryponosome. The difference was caused by the participation of the immune response of the infected animals.

The new technique was sensitive enough to detect these interactions of chemotherapy and immunology and should be of use in the study of new trypanocidal compounds.

In outbred (CFLP) and inbred (NIH) mice, the inflammatory response which is thought to be party responsible for the expulsion of Trichinella spiralis from the mid-region of the small intestine, also seemed to be largely responsible fo rthe simulataneous (i.e. early) expulsion of Trichuris muris from the caecum and large intestine during concurrent primary infections. The intractive explusion operated only when the concurrent infections were timed to produce T. Spiralis expulsion before T. muris expulsion would normally occur and the effect persisted for several days after T. Spiralis has been expelled.

Interactive expulsion wasss depressed during application of the nonsteroid, anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin and by T-cell expulsion of T. spiralis. These results indicate that a T-cell mediated inflammatory response was probably the basis of the interaction.

When the timing of the infections was altered such that the expulsion of T. spiralis there was no reciprocal ecpulsion of the latter. Mice immunized againest one or the other species did not show cross-immunity on heterologus challenge, confirming that the interaction did not involve similar antigens in the two species. The interactive expulsive response is considered as an example of an indirect cross-immunity.

A variant-specific surface antigen from a cloned population of Trypanosoma brucei S 42 has been isolated and partically characterized. [35S]L-methionine was found to be incorporated into this material by cells incubated in vitro in a chemically defined medium. Incorporation of [35S]L-methionine was inhibited by cycloheximide and puromycin at concentrations which are known to specifically inhibit protein synthesis in other systems. The rate of synthesis of the variant-specific antigen in vitro has been estimated to be about 8% of the rate in vivo. Newly synthesized [35S]L-methionine-labelled variant-specific antigen was incorporated into the surface coat.

A coccidium belonging to the family Adeleidae was discovered in the mid-gut cells of Tipula paludosa. A new genus Rasajeyna and a new species nannyla are established because this pathogen differs from previously described coccidia. A diagnosis of R. nannyla is given.

The endogenous phase of R. nannyla is restricted to larvae. The oocysts, which are the external phase of the parasite, are swallowed by the leatherjackets and excyst in the anterior mid-gut. The sporozoites, 36·5 µm (± 5·4 µm, 95% confidence limits) long, 15·7 µm (± 1·8 µm, 95% confidence limits) wide, each containing a refractile body, enter the anterior mid-gut cells where the 1st schizogony occurs. The refractile bodies are retained during the early nuclear divisions. The sausage-shaped merozoites, 28·2 µm (± 4·3 µm, 95% confidence limits) long, 7·1 µm (± 0·9 µm, 95% confidence limits) wide, with posterior nuclei exhibit three distinct types of movement. (a) An active flexion of the body which is thought to occur during the intracellular phase. (b) A flicking action by both ends of the body. This is thought to occur during the free phase. (c) A spiralling motion which is thought to aid the entry of the merozoite into the cells.

The nucles of the intracellular merozoite divides several times, forming a multinucleate body. The merozoites of the 2nd schizogony form in groups at the poles of the schizont. The merozites are indistinguishable from each other until after a period of growth has ensued, when they are differentiated as macro- and microgametocytes. The pear-shaped macrogamete 44·3 µm (± 4·5 µm, 95% confidence limits) long, 21·6 µm (± 3·2 µm, 95% confidence limits) wide, which contains a crescent-shaped structure in the nucleus. The microgametocyte grows to 40·3 µm (± 2·7 µm, 95% confidence limits) long, 16·7 µm (± 1·5 µm, 95% confidence limits) wide and then attaches itself lengthwise to the macrogamete. A membrane is then secreted around both partners. Nuclear division produces 4 microgametes, one of which fertilizes the female. The 1st and 2nd oocyst membranes are deposited before cytoplasmic shrinkage and meiosis. The zygote is 44·6 µm (± 4·2 µm, 95% confidence limits) long and 33·7 µm (± 4·1 µm, 95% confidence limits ) wide. Cytoplasmic condensation around the nuclei forms the sporoblasts which mature into sporocysts each containing 1 sporozoite. The zygote may be expelled from the larvae at any juncture after fertilization.

Hymenolepis microstoma was found to live for at least 728 days in a mouse, but an initial infection of 10 worms per mosue decreased exponentially for approximately the first 110 days to a level of 3–5 worms, after which little further loss occurred.

A primary infection of six H. microstoma, expelled with anthelmintic on day 21, strongly protected against a single worm H. diminuta challenge; worms in 80 ‘immunized’ mice weighed less than 5% of the weight of worms from 80 control mice. However, a primary (5-worm) H. diminuta infection led only to a small, though statistically significant, decrease in weight of the 3-worm H. microstoma challenge.

The results are interpreted as indicating that H. microstoma evokes a strong immunological response which cross-reacts with H. diminuta. The failure of H. diminutato protect strongly against a 3-worm challenge by H. microstoma suggests, as does the long survival of a primary infection when it is reduced to approximately 4 worms, that H. microstoma survives in low infection because it is able to avoid the immune response. This could be due to antigen camounflage, ability to repair immune damage or to the low permeability of the bile duct wall to components of the immune response. The worm loss which occurs from heavy infection until only 3–5 worms remain may be physiologically rather than immunologiacally mediated.

The multilaminate vesicles present in the tegument cytoplasm appear to fuse with side channels projecting out into the cytoplasm from the base of the surface pits. Their lamellate contents then unroll and spread out to form a trilaminate membranocalyx lining the pits and covering the tegument surface. The plant lectin concanavalin A appears to stabilize the process of vesicle fusion leading to an aggregation of multilaminate vesicles trapped in the lumen of the surface pits. The membranocalyx can be labelled with cationized ferritin. Chase incubations in normal medium indicate that by 4 h most of the label and the membranocalyx to which it is bound have been lost to the medium. This suggests that under the conditions of these experiments the membranocalyx has a half-life of 2–3 h.