Psychomotor Impairments in Experimental Animals in the Cases of Opisthorchosis

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to study adaptative and neurological onsets in the behavior of animals infected by Opisthorchis felineus. Materials and methods. The research was conducted on 10 buck rabbits orally infected by metacercariae O. felineus in a dose of 50 specimen per one animal. 9 health breeding stock animals were the control. Infection was confirmed by laboratory research of feces after 1.5 months with the detection of trematode ootids. The research of psychomotor reactions – somatosensorial, visile (photic), sound with evaluation of general animal reaction, their behavior and response of organs of senses was conducted after 4 months.Results and discussion. Aggressively-destructive disorders were established in the primary reaction to contact, in which the two-phase behavior is established, a short phase of aggression, alternating with a long inhibitory phase. Anxiety state showing in disorientation of movements, head turning in combination with the reaction of exclusion has been established in infected animals. Disorientation, active motor behavior similar to attack (aggression), ears pressing was noted when applying photic stimuli. Absence of forced squeezing, the reaction of the third eyelid was observed when taking into account reactions of eye assist device on photic stimulus. Absence of suspension reaction, anxiety was established under exposer of sound stimuli in animals, presence of loginess and absence of the reaction. Thus, psychomotor disorders apparently associated with toxic hepatic encephalopathy and general subcompensated dysfunction of the nervous system was noted in the cases of opisthorchosis after 4 months.

Keywords

• opisthorchosis
• opisthorchis felineus
• nervous disorders
• psychomotor reactions
• rabbits
• organs of senses