The effect of blood human, domestic and small laboratory animals on the viability and behavior of the medicinal leech
Basic science / preclinical published in Annals of parasitology (2023)
Abstract
Medicinal leeches are used for therapeutic purposes in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Because they have a large amount of biologically active substances in their body. Each of these substances has many therapeutic effects. In natural conditions, they are mostly are fed of blood by wild animals. In laboratory conditions, the blood of domestic animals is mostly used. Currently, medicinal leeches are mostly bred in laboratory conditions. Because there are very few of them in nature. They are listed in the Red Book. Scientists of various specialties are looking for optimal conditions for their life and breeding. That became our research goal. To identify the influence of blood human, domestic animals (pigs and chickens) and small laboratory animals (rats) on the viability and behavior of medicinal leeches Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 and Hirudo orientalis Utevsky & Trontelj, 2005. According to this, 8 groups of sexually mature animals were formed: 1 and 2 - human blood; 3, 4 - blood of a domestic pig; 5, 6 - blood of domestic chickens; 7, 8 - blood of a non-linear laboratory rat. As a result of the study, it was found that the blood of pigs and chickens is the most suitable for feeding the medical leech for normal life and behavior. Mortality of leeches was observed when feeding on rat and human blood. It should be noted that at the beginning of feeding animals with blood human. The percentage of cannibalism in animals increased.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
Medicinal leeches are used for therapeutic purposes in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Because they have a large amount of biologically active substances in their body.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Este estudio examinó cómo la sangre de diferentes fuentes —humanos, cerdos domésticos, pollos y ratas de laboratorio— afecta la viabilidad y el comportamiento de dos especies de sanguijuelas medicinales (Hirudo verbana y Hirudo orientalis), informando que la sangre de cerdo y de pollo respaldó mejor la vida y el comportamiento normales de las sanguijuelas, mientras que la sangre de rata y humana provocó mortalidad, y la sangre humana aumentó notablemente el canibalismo entre las sanguijuelas. Estos hallazgos son directamente relevantes para la hirudoterapia y el ámbito de ASH porque la cría sostenible en laboratorio de sanguijuelas medicinales es esencial para mantener un suministro confiable de especímenes terapéuticos, y comprender qué fuentes de sangre optimizan la salud de las sanguijuelas informa las prácticas de manejo en las instalaciones de cría. El estudio proporciona orientación práctica para el cultivo de sanguijuelas, que sustenta la disponibilidad clínica de la hirudoterapia. Sin embargo, la relevancia se limita a las condiciones de cría de las sanguijuelas y no a la eficacia terapéutica ni a los resultados clínicos; el resumen proporciona datos cuantitativos mínimos sobre las tasas de mortalidad o las métricas de comportamiento, y los hallazgos se refieren a la optimización del manejo en laboratorio y no a ningún aspecto de la terapia con sanguijuelas aplicada a pacientes.
Citación
The effect of blood human, domestic and small laboratory animals on the viability and behavior of the medicinal leech.
Aminov R · Annals of parasitology, 2023
Contexto clínico relacionado
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: March 18, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: June 18, 2026