Comparative ultrastructural topography of the gut epithelia of the lung fluke Paragonimus (Trematoda: Troglotrematidae)

Abstract

The gut epithelia in the species of Paragonimus known in Japan, P. westermani, P. ohirai, P. iloktsuenemis, P. miyazakii, and P. sadoensis, were observed with the scanning electron microscope. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to substantiate and clarify the results of these topographic studies. Morphological differences in the cytoplasmic projections of the gut epithelial surface were found to be present among some species of Paragonimus. The cytoplasmic projections in this group are of a sheet-like or broad lamellar type, although fine digitiform type projections have never been described in other trematodes.