IN-VITRO EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPEUTANTS ON THE LOBSTER PARASITE ANOPHRYOIDES HAEMOPHILA

Anophryoides haemophila is a ciliated protozoan and the causative agen t of bumper car disease in lobsters. An in vitro system was developed to assess the effects of chemotherapeutants on ciliate motility and mo rphology. Monensin, formaldehyde and pyrimethamine + sulphaquinoxaline caused a dose-dependent reduction in ciliate motility and induced cel l lysis. The effects of oxytetracycline were dependent upon the incuba tion solution; no effect was observed on ciliates in seawater and a do se-dependent decrease in ciliate motility and cell rounding occurred i n 0.8 M NaCl. Amprolium had no effect on ciliate motility or morpholog y. This system can be used to rapidly screen antiprotozoan compounds f or efficacy against A. haemophila prior to selecting compounds for in vivo efficacy and safety studies.