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Fluid preservation causes minimal reduction of parasite detectability in fish specimens: A new approach for reconstructing parasite communities of the past?

ABSTRACT: Long-term datasets are needed to evaluate temporal patterns in wildlife disease burdens, but historical data on parasite abundance are extremely rare. For more than a century, natural history collections have been accumulating fluid-preserved specimens, which should contain the parasites infecting the host at the time of its preservation. However, before this unique data source can be exploited, we must identify the artifacts that are introduced by the preservation process. Here, we experimentally address whether the preservation process alters the degree to which metazoan parasites are detectable in fluid-preserved fish specimens when using visual parasite detection techniques. We randomly assigned fish of three species (Gadus chalcogrammus, Thaleichthys pacificus, and Parophrys vetulus) to two treatments. In the first treatment, fish were preserved according to the standard procedures used in ichthyological collections. Immediately after the fluid-preservation process was complete, we performed parasitological dissection on those specimens. The second treatment was a control, in which fish were dissected without being subjected to the fluid-preservation process. We compared parasite abundance between the two treatments. Across 298 fish individuals and 59 host-parasite pairs, we found few differences between treatments, with 24 of 27 host-parasite pairs equally abundant between the two treatments. Of these, one pair was significantly more abundant in the preservation treatment than in the control group, and two pairs were significantly less abundant in the preservation treatment than in the control group. Our data suggest that the fluid-preservation process does not have a substantial effect on the detectability of metazoan parasites. This study addresses only the effects of the fixation and preservation process; long-term experiments are needed to address whether parasite detectability remains unchanged in the months, years, and decades of storage following preservation. If so, ecologists will be able to reconstruct novel, long-term datasets on parasite diversity and abundance over the past century or more using fluid-preserved specimens from natural history collections.

SUBMITTER: Fiorenza EA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7381554 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Fluid preservation causes minimal reduction of parasite detectability in fish specimens: A new approach for reconstructing parasite communities of the past?

Fiorenza Evan A EA Leslie Katie L KL Torchin Mark E ME Maslenikov Katherine P KP Tornabene Luke L Wood Chelsea L CL

Ecology and evolution 20200615 13

Long-term datasets are needed to evaluate temporal patterns in wildlife disease burdens, but historical data on parasite abundance are extremely rare. For more than a century, natural history collections have been accumulating fluid-preserved specimens, which should contain the parasites infecting the host at the time of its preservation. However, before this unique data source can be exploited, we must identify the artifacts that are introduced by the preservation process. Here, we experimental ...[more]

PMID: 32724525

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Project description:Study Design Retrospective study. Objective The interlaminar approach represents the standard procedure for the surgical treatment of lumbar disk herniation (LDH). In the case of disk herniations in the "hidden zone," it could be necessary to perform laminotomies or laminectomies and partial or total facetectomies to remove the herniated fragment, thus leading to iatrogenic instability. The objective of the study is to evaluate the translaminar approach, in terms of the results, safety, and efficacy compared with the standard approach. Methods Since February 2010, 38 patients (26 men and 12 women; mean age 50.9 years, range 31 to 78 years) with LDH and migration into the hidden zone underwent a microdiskectomy by the translaminar approach. Using a micro-diamond dust-coated burr, a translaminar hole (8 ± 2 mm) was made, with subsequent exposure of the involved root and removal of the fragment. A clinical follow-up was performed at months 1, 3, 6, and 12 using the visual analog scale and the Oswestry Disability Index. All patients were evaluated according to the Spangfort score. Postoperative radiographic evaluations were done at 1, 6, and 12 months (dynamic radiographic studies done at 6 and 12 months). Results In over 60% of cases, L4-L5 was the involved disk. The visualization of the roots was successfully achieved through a translaminar approach. No laminotomies, laminectomies, or partial or total facetectomies were performed. The flavum ligament was always spared. A severe intraoperative bleeding episode occurred in 5% of the cases, due to involvement of the epidural veins, but it did not result in prolonged operative time (mean duration 60 ± 10 minutes). The patients showed a gradual resolution of the back pain and a progressive resolution of the radicular pain and the neurologic deficits. No sign of radiographic instability was documented during the follow-up. No infections, dural tears, or spinal cord injuries occurred. No revision surgery was performed. Conclusion The translaminar approach is the only tissue-sparing technique viable in case of cranially migrated LDH encroaching on the exiting nerve root in the preforaminal zones, for the levels above L2-L3, and in the preforaminal and foraminal zones, for the levels below L3-L4 (L5-S1 included, if a total microdiskectomy is not necessary). The possibility to spare the flavum ligament is one of the main advantages of this technique. According to our experience, the translaminar approach is an effective and safe alternative minimally invasive surgical option.

Dataset Information

Fluid preservation causes minimal reduction of parasite detectability in fish specimens: A new approach for reconstructing parasite communities of the past?

Publications

Fluid preservation causes minimal reduction of parasite detectability in fish specimens: A new approach for reconstructing parasite communities of the past?

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