B. Sures et al., Accumulation and distribution of lead in the archiacanthocephalan Moniliformis moniliformis from experimentally infected rats, PARASITOL, 121, 2000, pp. 427-433
It recently became clear that adult eo- and palaeacanthocephalans parasitiz
ing fish can bioconcentrate several heavy metals to significantly higher co
ncentrations than the tissues of their definitive hosts. Following this dis
covery the lead accumulation of the archiacanthocephalan Moniliformis monil
iformis was investigated using experimentally infected male Wistar rats of
the CD-M-strain. The worms were allowed Co grow up for 4 weeks post-infecti
on followed by a 3 weeks oral lead exposure of the rats. After the exposure
period the rats were killed and the metal levels were determined in muscle
, liver, intestine and kidney of the rats as well as in different organs of
female and male acanthocephalans. Lead concentrations were found to be hig
hest in female M. moniliformis followed by the kidneys of the rats. Male wo
rms contained approximately the same lead concentration as the hosts' kidne
ys. Lead analysis of the worms' organs revealed the highest lead concentrat
ion in the eggs of female acanthocephalans, followed by the cement gland of
male Worms. Whilst the lead burden of the presoma was higher than that det
ected in the kidneys of the rats, the lead content of the metasoma was even
lower than in the kidneys. A lead uptake of M. moniliformis from the intes
tinal lumen of the host became apparent as the faeces of infected rats cont
ained significantly less lead compared to the uninfected conspecifics. Thus
, this study reveals that lead accumulation also occurs in archiacanthoceph
alans parasitizing mammals. But the degree of metal bioconcentration is con
siderably lower compared to eo- and palaeacanthocephalans in fish. Anyway,
due to a lack of adequate sentinel species in terrestrial biotopes the host
-parasite system rat- M. moniliformis appears to be a useful and promising
bioindication system especially in urban ecosystems in temperate regions.