CHOLINERGIC, SEROTONINERGIC AND PEPTIDERGIC COMPONENTS OF THE NERVOUS-SYSTEM OF HEMATOLECHUS-MEDIOPLEXUS (TREMATODA, DIGENEA), CHARACTERIZED BY CYTOCHEMISTRY

Cholinergic, serotoninergic and peptidergic neuronal pathways have bee n demonstrated in whole-mount preparations of the frog-lung digenean t rematode, Haematoloechus medioplexus, using enzyme cytochemical method ologies and indirect immunocytochemical techniques in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy. All 3 classes of neuroactive subs tance mere found throughout both central and peripheral elements of a well-developed orthogonal nervous system, Peptidergic immunoreactivity was particularly strong, using antisera directed to native flatworm n europeptides, neuropeptide F, and FMRFamide-related peptides (FaRPs), and there was significant overlap in the staining with that for cholin ergic components, The serotoninergic system appeared quite separate, w ith the staining localised to a different set of neurons. (C) 1997 Aus tralian Society for Parasitology.