Morphological Alterations in Haemocytes of Adult American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Blattodea: Blattidae) in Response to Thermal Stress and Induced Infection
Keywords:
Haemocyte, Morphology, Thermal stress, Infection, CockroachAbstract
American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) are considered as potential vectors and possible reservoirs of pathogenic organisms. They respond to any infection by mounting immune responses mediated by morphologically and functionally distinct haemocytes. To understand the effect of abiotic stress like heat, cold and biotic stress induced by infection on American cockroahes, microscopic study of haemocytes was carried out from adult P. americana (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Blattodea: Blattidae). In the present study, morphological alterations of haemocytes were observed at high temperature (45°C for 12 hours), low temperature (4°C for 12 hours) and following inoculation with E. coli bacteria compared to the control haemocytes. Stress induced necrotic changes of haemocytes like loss of cellular integrity, vacuolization, cell swelling, blebbing, margination of chromatin, membrane rupture were recorded in all the three types of stress conditions. The most affected haemocytes were Plasmatocytes, Granulocytes and Prohaemocytes. Unusual nuclear separation in a cap like bleb formation and margination were observed at low temperature. Cellular aggregation and phagocytic extensions of Granulocytes and Plasmatocytes were visible after induced infection. This is the first study where the changes in the primitive immune cells of American cockroaches have been reported in response to abiotic and biotic stress. Hemocyte structural modifications and changes observed in the present study have potential implications in the study of stress response in P. americana in the extreme environment and in destruction of pathogens. Cellular aggregation and phagocytosis are characteristics defence reactions which are not found in thermal stressed cells. Although vacuolization, blebbing and chromatin margination were common alterations in response to all types of stresses applied in this study.
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