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Abstract
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Although leeches were used largely by Iranian and Muslims from ancient days, it
has been reported that other people since the 1980s, used leeches in order to manage
venous flap congestion.The remarkable ability of the medicinal leeches is to reach
five to six times of the body weight in a single blood meal and to release an array of
potent chemicals with its saliva has led to an unexpected resurgence of the use of
leeches in modern medicine (Sawyer, R.T. 1986).The medicinal leech was approved
as a medical target for bloodletting capabilities by the Food and Drug Administration
of the USA. The direct application of H.medicinalisto areas of acute venous
congestion provides a cost-effective and reliable treatment. (Abdelgabar, A.M. and
Bhowmick, B.K. 2003.De Chalain, T.M. 1996.Whitaker, I.S. et al. 2004). Powerful
vasodilators and anti-inflammatory and anticoagulation molecules have been
isolated, characterized and patented from leech saliva (Rigbi, M. et al. 1987. Rigbi,
M. et al. 1996)
Earlier studies had identified Aeromonas, Corresponding author: Graf, J. as the
sole digestive-tract symbiont of H.medicinalis.
We studied medical leech of Azarbaijan, Iran. We performed sampling in different
ways (from its mouth and gut before and after feeding with sterile blood). Thus, the
bacteria from the gastro-intestinal system were extracted.
Gram tests were performed. Gram negative,catalase positive and oxidase positive
bacillus, and also gram positive cocos were seen. Now, PCR and electrophoresis are
done, after checking gene sequences, exact species will be known.
So, up to now, existence of special bacteria in gut of azarbayjan medical leech,
(Hirudo medicinalis) was confirmed
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