An enzyme was found in the muscle layers of Ascaris lumbricoides which was similar to the protocollagen proline hydroxylase found in chick embryos and other vertebrates in that it synthesized 14C-hydroxyprolme when incubated with 14C-proline-labeled protocollagen from chick cartilage. The Ascaris enzyme was also similar in that it required atmospheric oxygen, a-ketoglutarate, iron, and ascorbat...

BACKGROUND The roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides infects 0.8 billion people worldwide, and Ascaris suum infects innumerable pigs across the globe. The extent of natural cross-transmission of Ascaris between pig and human hosts in different geographical settings is unknown, warranting investigation. METHODS Adult Ascaris organisms were obtained from humans and pigs in Europe, Africa, Asia, and La...

BACKGROUND Asthma is a common chronic disease worldwide and Ascaris lumbricoides infection (ascariasis) is frequent in tropical regions. However, the effect of ascariasis on asthma severity has not been sufficiently explored. We sought to evaluate the influence of the IgE immune response to Ascaris extract and purified house dust mites (HDM) and Ascaris allergens on indicators of asthma severit...

the water extract of trigonella foenum graecum stem and leaves was tested for lethal activity against hymenolepis nana, syphacia obvelata, and moniezia expansa. the plant extract demonstrated good anthelmintic activity in vitro which is directly related to the concentration of the extract used. the extract also prevents the formation of ascaris larvae from the eggs of ascaris lumbrico- ides (hu...

Analysis of ancient DNA (aDNA) extracted from Ascaris is very important for understanding the phylogenetic lineage of the parasite species. When aDNAs obtained from a Joseon tomb (SN2-19-1) coprolite in which Ascaris eggs were identified were amplified with primers for cytochrome b (cyt b) and 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene, the outcome exhibited Ascaris specific amplicon bands...

BACKGROUND Serine protease inhibitors act as modulators of serine proteases, playing important roles in protecting animal toxin peptides from degradation. However, all known serine protease inhibitors discovered thus far from animal venom belong to the Kunitz-type subfamily, and whether there are other novel types of protease inhibitors in animal venom remains unclear. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here...

1. Tetramisole (100 mug/ml) paralysed live Ascaris in 3 min.2. Tetramisole (10 mug/ml) caused a sustained contraction of the isolated somatic muscles of the worm. This contraction was not blocked by curare nor by piperazine.3. Tetramisole reduced the resting potential of Ascaris muscle from 34+/-4 to 10+/-1 mV.4. Tetramisole caused contraction of Ascaris muscle previously depolarized with high ...