硬蜱对动物和人类健康构成威胁。活跃的生命阶段需要以脊椎动物宿主为食,以完成其生命周期。为了研究蜱-病原体相互作用或药物疗效和药代动力学等过程,有必要在确定的实验室条件下保持蜱菌落,通常使用实验动物。这项研究的目的是使用扁桃体作为生物模型,测试适用于扁桃体的膜基人工喂养系统(AFS)。将来自实验室菌落的成年蜱喂食基于膜的AFS。为了比较,其他田鼠成虫以小牛和兔子为食。与以动物为基础的喂养相比,AFS中附着(AFS:76%;小牛/兔子:100%)和充血的雌性(AFS:47.4%;小牛/兔子:100%)的比例显着降低(p=0.0265)。体外饲喂的壁虱的体重(x'=658mg;SD±259.80)与饲喂动物的壁虱的体重没有显着差异(p=0.3272,分别为0.0947)。在所有三种喂养方法中,产卵的雌性比例均为100%。然而,与常规动物喂养相比,AFS中的卵潜伏期(x'=54天;SD±7)更长(p=0.0014);x'=45天;兔子和(p=0.0144)的SD±2。x'=48天;小牛SD±2)。AFS中的卵簇孵化(x'=41%;SD±44.82)低于其他喂养方法(兔子:x'=74%;SD±20;p=0.0529;小牛:x'=81%;SD±22;p=0.0256)。虽然附件,发展,AFS蜱的孵化率低于动物喂养,该方法可能在未来的实验中有用。然而,需要对更多数量的蜱虫标本(包括未成熟的生命阶段)和不同的引诱剂刺激进行进一步的实验,以证实本研究的初步结果,并评估AFS作为基于动物的喂养方法的替代方法的适用性。
Hard ticks pose a threat to animal and human health. Active life stages need to feed on a vertebrate host in order to complete their life cycle. To
study processes such as tick-pathogen interactions or drug efficacy and pharmacokinetics, it is necessary to maintain tick colonies under defined laboratory conditions, typically using laboratory animals. The aim of this
study was to test a membrane-based artificial feeding system (AFS) applicable for Amblyomma ticks using Amblyomma tonelliae as a biological model. Adult ticks from a laboratory colony were fed in a membrane-based AFS. For comparison, other A. tonelliae adults were fed on calf and rabbit. The proportions of attached (AFS: 76%; calf/rabbit: 100%) and engorged females (AFS: 47.4%; calf/rabbit: 100%) in the AFS were significantly lower compared to animal-based feeding (p = 0.0265). The engorgement weight of in vitro fed ticks (x¯ = 658 mg; SD ± 259.80) did not significantly differ from that of ticks fed on animals (p = 0.3272, respectively 0.0947). The proportion of females that oviposited was 100% for all three feeding methods. However, the incubation period of eggs (x¯ = 54 days; SD ± 7) was longer in the AFS compared to conventional animal-based feeding (p = 0.0014); x¯ = 45 days; SD ± 2 in the rabbit and (p = 0.0144). x¯ = 48 days; SD ± 2 in the calf). Egg cluster hatching (x¯ = 41%; SD ± 44.82) was lower in the AFS than in the other feeding methods (rabbit: x¯ = 74%; SD ± 20; p = 0.0529; calf: x¯ = 81%; SD ± 22; p = 0.0256). Although the attachment, development, and the hatching of AFS ticks were below those from animal-based feeding, the method may be useful in future experiments. Nevertheless, further experiments with a higher number of tick specimens (including immature life stages) and different attractant stimuli are required to confirm the preliminary results of this
study and to evaluate the applicability of AFS for Amblyomma ticks as an alternative to animal-based feeding methods.