Histamine Immunoreactive Elements in the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems of the Snail, Biomphalaria spp., Intermediate Host for Schistosoma mansoni

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 6; p. e0129800
• Main Authors: Habib, Mohamed R., Mohamed, Azza H., Osman, Gamalat Y., Sharaf El-Din, Ahmed T., Mossalem, Hanan S., Delgado, Nadia, Torres, Grace, Rolón-Martínez, Solymar, Miller, Mark W., Croll, Roger P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 18.06.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Biomphalaria; Biomphalaria - immunology; Biomphalaria - parasitology; Biomphalaria glabrata; Biophysics; Body wall; Catecholamines; Central Nervous System - immunology; Central Nervous System - parasitology; Cloning; Comparative studies; Fibers; Ganglia; Ganglia - immunology; Ganglia - parasitology; Gastropoda; Gastropods; Hair cells; Histamine; Histamine - immunology; Humans; Hymenolepis diminuta; Immunoreactivity; Innervation; Laboratories; Localization; Lymnaea; Metabolism; Mollusks; Nervous system; Neural circuitry; Neural networks; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Parasitology; Peripheral Nervous System - immunology; Peripheral Nervous System - parasitology; Physiology; Platyhelminthes; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosoma mansoni - isolation & purification; Schistosomiasis; Schistosomiasis mansoni - parasitology; Snails; Studies; Tropical diseases; Zoology; Canada; Puerto Rico; United States > US; Nova Scotia Canada; Egypt; Giza Egypt
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129800

Histamine appears to be an important transmitter throughout the Animal Kingdom. Gastropods, in particular, have been used in numerous studies establishing potential roles for this biogenic amine in the nervous system and showing its involvement in the generation of diverse behaviours. And yet, the distribution of histamine has only previously been described in a small number of molluscan species. The present study examined the localization of histamine-like immunoreactivity in the central and peripheral nervous systems of pulmonate snails of the genus Biomphalaria. This investigation demonstrates immunoreactive cells throughout the buccal, cerebral, pedal, left parietal and visceral ganglia, indicative of diverse regulatory functions in Biomphalaria. Immunoreactivity was also present in statocyst hair cells, supporting a role for histamine in graviception. In the periphery, dense innervation by immunoreactive fibers was observed in the anterior foot, perioral zone, and other regions of the body wall. This study thus shows that histamine is an abundant transmitter in these snails and its distribution suggest involvement in numerous neural circuits. In addition to providing novel subjects for comparative studies of histaminegic neurons in gastropods, Biomphalaria is also the major intermediate host for the digenetic trematode parasite, which causes human schistosomiasis. The study therefore provides a foundation for understanding potential roles for histamine in interactions between the snail hosts and their trematode parasites.