Histochemical Studies of Four Cyclophyllidean Cestodes

Abstract

The distribution of lipids, PAS-positive material, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, protein-bound sulfhydryl groups, sialoand sulfomucins, DNA, glycogen, succinic dehydrogenase, 3pglucuronidase, amylophosphorylase, transglucosidase, and cytochrome oxidase was studied and compared in adults of Hymenolepis nana, H. diminuta, Hydatigera taeniaeformis, and Dipylidium caninum. Species differences were seen in the distribution of alkaline phosphatase, amylophosphorylase, lipids, and polysaccharides while the distribution of the other substances studied was quite similar in the species examined. The diverse physiological activity of the cuticle is stressed. Many workers have reported histochemical observations on cestode material. This has recently been summarized in a review (Read and Simmons, 1963). For the most part these studies have not been comparative in nature and have dealt with the distribution of glycogen, lipids, phosphatases, and various types of protein. Our object in the work reported here was to establish the normal histochemical distribution of various substances in adult tapeworms of four species for further work on the mode of action of anticestode drugs. For this reason we were most interested in the histochemistry of the cuticle and subcuticular