Ana Carolina Borella Anhê
Published: July 15, 2008
Genet. Mol. Res. 7 (3) : 643-644
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/vol7-3ta016

Cite this Article:
A.Carolina B. Anhê (2008). Cytochemical and ultrastructural study of salivary glands of Triatomines (Heteroptera, Triatominae). Genet. Mol. Res. 7(3): 643-644. https://doi.org/10.4238/vol7-3ta016

About the Authors
Ana Carolina Borella Anhê

The triatomines (Heteroptera, Reduviidae) are hematophagous insects commonlyknown as the “kissing bug”, because they bite the uncovered face of sleeping people. TheTriatominae subfamily is of medical/health importance, since these insects are transmittersof the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, etiologic agent of Chagas disease. This illness occursmainly in South and Central America where, nowadays, it infects about 12 million people.Triatomines are also transmitters of Trypanosoma rangeli, which develops in their salivaryglands, and although it is not pathogenic to humans, it causes mixed infections with T. cruzi,making differential diagnosis of the parasitemia difficult. Triatomines of the genera Triatomaand Panstrongylus have a complex gland composed of three pairs of salivary glands: the anterior (D1),median (D2) and posterior (D3); in the genus Rhodnius, there are just two pairsof glands: principal and accessory. The cells show intense synthesis of substances and havebulky nuclei with marked polyploidy. Blood-feeding insect saliva abounds in substances thatantagonize the hemostatic, inflammatory and immunologic systems of the vertebrate host.Read more. . . . .