Coenurus cerebralis (C. cerebralis) infection is a common parasitic disease in sheep that causes severe neurological damage. However, the underlying metabolic changes triggered by this pathogen in host sheep remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the effects of C. cerebralis infection on in vivo metabolic functions in sheep. Broad-targeted blood metabolomics was used to screen differential serum metabolites between C. cerebralis-infected sheep (BE-P group) and healthy sheep (BE-N group). Combined with KEGG enrichment analysis and ELISA assays, we further validated key metabolic molecules and related pathways. A total of 25 significantly differential metabolites were identified, including 19 upregulated and 6 downregulated metabolites. KEGG enrichment indicated that the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolic pathway was the most significantly dysregulated pathway. ELISA results showed that serum phospholipids (PLs), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), AA, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 2 (CysLT2R), and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) were markedly increased, whereas epoxy-eicosatrienoic acids (EETs) were decreased in the BE-P group. C. cerebralis infection disturbed the AA metabolic pathway, with abnormal activation of its downstream cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX), and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) branches. These changes were accompanied by neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and microcirculation disturbance, which ultimately disrupted cerebral metabolism. Notably, serum CysLT2R level in the BE-P group was 2.13-fold higher than that in the BE-N group, representing the most prominent difference. CysLT2R may mediate neuroinflammation, blood–brain barrier disruption and neuronal injury through the Gαq signaling pathway. C. cerebralis infection disturbs the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway and activates its downstream metabolic cascades. CysLT2R is a key altered molecule, which may participate in the brain injury induced by C. cerebralis infection.
Soil-transmitted helminth infections remain a public health concern in endemic regions and may be associated with changes in gut microbial communities. However, evidence regarding gut microbiota variation in relation to Trichuris trichiura infection remains inconsistent, particularly among children in endemic settings. This study aimed to investigate differences in gut bacterial composition and diversity between T. trichiura-infected and helminth-uninfected school-aged children in rural Indonesia. A cross-sectional microbiome study was conducted among 24 school-aged children in West Java, Indonesia, comprising 15 with T. trichiura monoinfection and nine without detectable intestinal helminth infections. Infection status was determined using duplicate Kato–Katz examinations. Gut bacterial communities were characterized using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Oxford Nanopore platform. Taxonomic composition, alpha and beta diversity, and differential abundance were compared between groups. Bacillota predominated in both groups, accounting for 86.20
Orcinocyamus orcini (Leung, 1970) is a cyamid amphipod specific to the killer whale (Orcinus orca). This study redescribes O. orcini from Indonesia using morphological and molecular approaches and provides the first DNA sequences for the species. Specimens collected from skin lesions of an O. orca in East Java, Indonesia, were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. Molecular characterization was based on partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence and phylogenetic analysis. Morphological examination confirmed the specimens as O. orcini and revealed diagnostic features including anterodorsal epaulette-like processes, ventral abdominal spines, and paired double, sausage-shaped, non-fasciculate gills on segments 3 and 4. The first COI sequences of O. orcini (GenBank accession numbers PX513872 and PX513873) differed by 17.8–21.3
Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of diarrheal disease worldwide and is particularly severe in immunocompromised individuals. Nitazoxanide (NTZ), the only FDA-approved therapy, shows limited effectiveness in this population. Chitosan nanoparticle (CS NP)-based delivery systems may enhance its therapeutic performance. This study evaluated NTZ, blank CS NPs, and NTZ-loaded CS NPs in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice experimentally infected with Cryptosporidium oocysts, by assessing mortality rate, fecal and intestinal oocyst counts, and ELISA-based serum IgM and IgG levels. One hundred male Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups (n = 20 each), each subdivided into immunocompetent and immunosuppressed subgroups (n = 10). Group A served as uninfected, untreated controls; Group B comprised infected untreated mice; Groups C, D, and E received NTZ alone, blank CS NPs, and NTZ-loaded CS NPs. Mortality rate was lowest in the NTZ-loaded CS NP group (10
The genus Pseudobenedenia Johnston, 1931, includes capsalid monogeneans parasitizing Antarctic nototheniid fishes and has long been subject to taxonomic instability. One of the most affected taxa is Pseudobenedenia lauriei Szidat, 1965 (often treated as a synonym of P. nototheniae). We aimed to reassess the taxonomic status of P. lauriei using an integrative approach combining comparative morphology, morphometrics, and molecular analyses. Our analysis was based on newly collected material from Notothenia neglecta off West Antarctica, together with a comparative examination of museum specimens. Morphological comparisons a consistent set of diagnostic features distinguishing P. lauriei from its congeners. Multivariate analyses (PCA and Gower distance) clearly separated P. lauriei from all other congeners. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial 18S and 28S rDNA sequences supported the distinct position of P. lauriei within the Antarctic clade of Pseudobenedenia. Reassessment of historical material suggested that many records previously assigned to P. nototheniae may represent distinct host-associated species. Our results support the recognition of P. lauriei as a valid species and highlight the importance of host identity, particularly its association with N. neglecta, in resolving species boundaries within the genus. This study also emphasizes the continued value of museum collections for resolving the taxonomy of Antarctic parasites.
