Histopathology of the liver of female rabbits hosting Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826) ticks exposed to Cannabis sativa extract.

Abstract

The species of ticks Rhipicephalus linnaei (Audouin, 1826), known as the brown dog tick, not only causes damage by blood depletion but also serves as a vector for various pathogens. The control of these ectoparasites has been carried out through the use of synthetic chemical acaricides, and despite their effectiveness, they have led to the development of resistance in ticks. Plants have been studied as a source of bioactives that may provide insights into potential strategies for ectoparasite control. Cannabis sativa is one of these plants, whose properties have been used for numerous therapeutic purposes, initially in humans and more recently in animals due to its potential anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immunomodulatory and acaricidal properties. Therefore, due to the positive results obtained regarding the effectiveness and benefits of using C. sativa, particularly for acaricidal purposes, the present project aims to study the effects of topical exposure to C. sativa plant extract diluted in olive oil at concentrations of 0.8 mg/mL, 0.4 mg/mL, and 0.2 mg/mL. This will be applied to skin lesions of rabbits infested with R. linnaei dog ticks, simulating host models. A histopathological evaluation of the skin (at the tick bite sites) will be conducted to assess the healing potential of the Cannabis extract (another ongoing project at BCSTM), and we will also analyze liver tissue/cells after exposure to the extract (as part of this study). This will involve using histological (HE) and histochemical techniques (detection of polysaccharides and proteins) to obtain these results.