HISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF ACID AND ALKALINE PHOSPHATASES IN MONIEZIA EXPANSA (RUDOLPHI, 1805)

Cestodes or true tapeworms are important group of the Platyhelminthes, endoparasitic in the alimentary tract and associated ducts of various vertebrates and therefore, of great interest to the medical and veterinary profession. Moniezia expansa, the tapeworm under study is the common parasite of oldest domesticated animal sheep. It inhabits the small intestine especially the lower portion and absorb the nutrition of host from the intestine and deprive it of many important nutrients and thus deteriorates the quality of meat, wool, skin of host which leads to ecomical losses as well. Phosphatases are enzymes hydrolysing esters of phosphoric acid and play an important role in many metabolic processes. The histochemical localization of acid and alkaline phosphatase has been studied in Moniezia expansa as an effort to study some of its biological aspects which would help in its control and chemotherapy. Acid phosphatase was found to be localized in tegument, subtegumental cells, parenchymal muscles, interproglottidal gland tegument, Mehlis glands, testes, uterine wall and eggs and was not observed in parenchyma, interproglottidal gland cells, excretory vessels, ovaries and vitellaria. Alkaline phosphatase activity was observed in tegument, subtegumental cells, parenchymal muscles, parenchyma, interproglottidal glands, excretory vessels, membranes enclosing ovaries, vitellaria, Mehlis gland, testes, uterine wall and eggs. The presence of acid phosphatase in testes, mehlis' glands, uterine wall and eggs as well as alkaline phosphatase in eggs in Moniezia expansa has been reported for the first time. Both the acid and alkanine phosphatases showed the variations in their activity in the tegument along the strobila with highest in mature region. This gives the idea of high metabolic activity in the mature region of the cestode. These phosphatases play important role in metabolism of the parasite and seems to be involved in transportation, digestion, distribution of nutrients and metabolites and absorption of metabolic end products.