Authors: A OliveiraMenezes W De Souza R M Lanfredi
Publish Date: 2003/03/26
Volume: 90, Issue: 4, Pages: 280-286
Abstract
Hassalstrongylus epsilon is a small nematode whose adult forms are found among the intestinal microvilli of the water rat Nectomys squamipes Brants 1827 Rodentia Muridae The external appearance of the cuticle which presents transversal striations and longitudinal ridges is described using scanning electron microscopy Transmission electron microscopy of thin sections and replicas of quickfrozen freezefractured deepetched and rotatory shadowed samples showed the presence in the cuticle of struts that arise from the fluid median layer extending outward to the epicuticle The cuticle showed the presence of five layers epicuticle cortical fibrilrich fluid median and fibrous The cuticle layers were made of an assemblage of fibers that create compartments which were larger in the fluid region than in the fibrilrich median layerWe are grateful to Mr Sebastião Cruz for technical assistance This work was supported by Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior CAPES Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico CNPq Fundação Universitária José Bonifácio FUJB Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro FAPERJ and Programa de Núcleos de Excelência PRONEX/MCT
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