Acetylcholinesterase Secretion by Brugia pahangi in vitro

The experiment was designed to demonstrate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) secretion by Brugia pahangi in vitro. Seventy five B. pahangi adult female worms were cultured in 2 ml of Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM), and the culture fluid was measured for AChE activity by the colorimetric method of Ellman et al. (1961). The enzymic activity increased by the incubation time during the first 24 hours of culture. In an experiment where 25-150 female worms were cultured for 24 hours, higher enzymic activity was detected in the culture fluid where the larger number of worms were cultured. Since AChE activity was not detected in the culture fluid where 100,000 microfilariae were cultured, the results showed that the AChE was secreted by B. pahangi adult female worms. The adult male worms did not have enzyme secreting potential. The secreted AChE was identified as a single protein by disc electrophoresis and possessed the characteristics of the true AChE for its substrate specificity and inhibition by eserine