Heart Failure-Like Reaction Is Likely Involved in the Feeding Behaviour of Blood-Sucking Leeches

Abstract

Medicinal leeches have been utilized in therapy for thousands of years. However, the adaptation physiology between leeches and hosts is not fully understand. To disclose the molecular mechanisms of adaptation between leech and host, the body transcriptomes of hunger and fed blood-sucking Poecilobdella javanica, Haemadipsa cavatuses, and Hirudo nipponia leeches were obtained by RNA sequencing, after comparison, a stratified unigenes group was obtained, which closely correlated to body distension. In the group, Rfamide receptor decreased significantly (P < 0.05) while serotonin receptor increased significantly (P < 0.05). Moreover, four KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways, including cardiac muscle contraction, complement and coagulation cascades, renin-angiotensin system, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were significantly enriched. The unigenes annotation, neuroregulators correlation analysis and induced function of the KEGG pathways, were consistently supported the same result as: vasoconstriction and systole reaction enhance in hunger leeches and vice versa vasodilation and diastole increase in fed leeches, meanwhile, Interspecific comparison and correlative analyses of physiological function showed that the strongest reaction of induced heart failure from four KEGG occur in strongest reaction of systole in hungry P. javanica and in strongest reaction of diastole in fed H. nipponia.Overall, heart failure is likely a physiological function involved in feeding behaviour.