• Animal cells and systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 2007

Cantharidin is produced by blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and smaller oedemerid beetles (Coleopetra: Oedemeridae) and is found in hemolymph and various tissues. The function of cantharidin in the courtship behaviour of meloids had never been fully established. Our studies show a correlation between density of cuticular pores and cantharidin titre of the scape and pedicel segments of male specimens of the East African species of Epicauta nyassensis (Haag-Rutenberg, 1880) (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Light microscopy of semi-thin cross sections of the male scape and pedicel indicates that there are many canal shaped structures that stretch from the antennal hemolymph to the antennomere surface. These structures may be tubules, which transport cantharidin circulating in the hemolymph to the surface, where the compound can be released via cuticular pore openings. Analyses of the head capsule and antennal segments of E. nyassensis females which had been copulated with males revealed low titre of cantharidin in the first two antennal segments. The density of the scape and pedicel pores of females was to some extent higher than the density of these pores on flagellum; however it was considerably lower than that of the males. Interestingly, no tubular cell or other transport structures were found in the cross sectioning of the female antennomeres or on the integument surface. During mating, male antennomeres, as well as cantharidin containing pores which are located on the $1^{st}\;and\;2^{nd}$ antennomeres, come into direct contact with the female antennae and may release cantharidin to their surface. Female E. nyassensis may be able to discriminate the opposite sex with abundant reserves of cantharidin prior to mating. This is another evidence that cantharidin function in close range sexual selection.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.98-106
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• 1994

The corneal formation of compound eye of Pieris rapae L., which was mostly made during pupal stage, was morphologically investigated with light microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The regeneration of the microvilli were found on the surface membranes of corneagen cells and retinular pigment cells of preommatidium after apolysis pupal cuticle. The microvilli were finally differentiated to corneal nipples of the ommatidium. The corneal cuticle was generated on the superficial layer of the preommatidium from corneagen cells and retinular pigment cells. The corneal process was also formed under the cuticular layer from the corneagen cells. The pore canal was appeared within the cuticular layer and connected with the retinular pigment cell as if the root of interommatidial hair was connected. The interommatidial hair was projected randomly among the ommatidial facets and cornal nipple was arrayed regular on the ommatidial facets. The cornea was convex lens and the refracting power by its convex shape was 4 diopter.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.53-63
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• 2007

The culticular substructure of the venom apparatus in the orb-web spider Araneus ventricosus are studied with scanning electron microscopy. The apparatus is composed of chelicera and paired venom glands in the cephalothorax. Each chelicera consists of a basal segment and a movable fang that articulates with each other. The chelicera of this spider is labidognathous form that moves at right angles to the body axis, and has two segments similar to that of a folding jackknife. Each cylindrical fang has a specialized hinge joint which articulate with the cheliceral groove which contains numerous small protrusions. In addition, each side of cheliceral groove is covered with a total of 7 cuticular teeth in two rows which composed of 4 promarginal and 3 retromarginal teeth. It has been also observed that a single venom pore is always located toward the direction of retromarginal teeth, and surface cuticular pits are distributed on the cuticular depressive area of cheliceral groove.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 1996

A scanning electron microscopic study was performed to observe the surface ultrastructures of the third-stage larvae of Gnathostoma hispidun. The early third-stage larvae (EL3) were collected from the viscera of Chinese loaches by the artificial digestion method . The advanced third-stage larvae (AdL3) were recovered from mice experimentally infected with EL3. Both larval worms were fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde, dehydrated in graded alcohol. dryad in critical point dryer, and coated with gold. The specimens were observed with a SEM (DS- l30C). On the head bulb of both larval stage, the mouth had a pair of lateral lips of equal size and of half moon shape. Each lip had a couple of labial papillae and a small amphid located between the two papillae. The hooklets on the head bulb had single-pointed tips and curved posteriorly. The cuticular spines of EL3 were larger and more densely distributed in the anterior area (about 1.8 Mm in length) and gradually decreased in size and number posteriorly. The cuticular spines in the anterior area of AdL3 were sharp-pointed and about 4.5 Mm in length, and those in the middle area were about 1.75 Mm. The velvety cuticular folds and dot-like cuticular spines were distributed in the posterior area. A cervical papilla was located between the 7th and 8th transverse striations. A dome-like body papilla was located at the posterior 1/4 of body. An ellipsoidal excretory pore was located between the 17th and 18th striations. From the above results, it is suggested that the characteristic SEM findings obtained from this study may be helpful on the species identification of larval Gncthostomn.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.167-173
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• 2009

Capillaria hepatica is a parasitic nematode which causes hepatic capillariasis in rodents and other mammals, including man. Rat species of the genus Rattus are main primary host and rates of genus Rattus of up to 100% have been reported. Infection to reservoir and other mammalian hosts occur incidentally due to ingestion of water or food contaminated with C. hepatica embryonated eggs. The worms mature exclusively inside the liver, but they die and disassemble soon after egg spawning in rats. Dead worms and their eggs cause immune response of focal necrosis and inflammation within the liver. C. hepatica adult with a thin and long body is similar to capillary. The members of Order Trichurida are characterized by having a stichosome and the bacillary bands in front of the body. As already mentioned, the adult C. hepatica residesin the liver, where it deposits groups of eggs, and finally die in the encapsulated tissue of the liver. They produce eggs that elicit a marked granulomatous reaction that eventually destroy the worms. And the adult worms were mixed with eggs. So the complete isolation of the worm and observation of intact ultrastructure is very difficult. In this study, integument structure of C. hepatica isolated from the liver of mouse at 7 weeks after inoculation of embryonated eggs were observed with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. As a results, body length of isolated C. hepatica was about 99 mm. Cuticle, bacillary band and bacillary pore were obtained in the integument of worm. Bacillary pore across cuticular surface of the worm were observed. According to the existence of cap material, external forms of bacillary pore can be divided into three types such as flat, ingression, and ingression with the cap material type. The complete isolation of the worm and observation of ultrastructure of integument will provide the fundamental data which is important in the nematode research including C. hepatica.