Fig. 5.

SEM images showing teguments of male (left panel) and female worms (right panel) after culture with DMSO (A, B), plumbagin (C, D) and sanguinarine (E, F). (A) and (B) show SEM image of the normal tegument of male and female worms. Male teguments shows hill-shaped tubercles covered with pointed spines and a convoluted surface of the tegumental membrane between tubercles. The female tegument does not have tubercles and spines and appears like a field plowed surface. (C) Shows a SEM image of a male worm exposed in vitro to plumbagin at a concentration of 10 μM for 24 h. Tegumental surfaces are damaged usually with disintegration of tubercles accompanied by a decrease in the number of spines. In addition, there were varying degrees of disintegration of the tegumental surfaces including peeling, wrinking and blebbing. (D) Among the female worms treated with plumbagin at a concentration of 10 μM for 24 h, the worms displayed moderate damage when compared to male damage of the tegumental surface. Holes and divots are prevalent throughout the tegument. (E) SEM image shows the tegument of an adult worm exposed in vitro to sanguinarine at a concentration of 10 μM for 24 h. Distortions of the tegumental surfaces can be seen usually with severe erosion and disintegration of the tegumental surface between tubercles. The holes and broken surface are visible. (F) Female worms treated with 30 μM sanguinarine for 8 h displayed varying degrees of swelling and cracking ranging from minimal to moderate throughout the anterior and posterior tegumental ridges/fissures.