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A study of the relationship between the energy contents of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and their death during penetration of mammalian host skin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2009

A. M. Ghandour  and
A. M. Ibrahim
A. M. Ghandour
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
A. M. Ibrahim
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
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Abstract

Immersion of Biomphalaria pfeifferi in 1.5% glucose solution showed that the snails did not absorb any glucose during the first six hours but that almost 30% of the glucose was absorbed after 24 hours. The glycogen content of such “glucose-fed” snails was much higher than that of control normal snails. Cercariae of S. mansoni collected from the former snails exhibited a much lower level of death (20%), during penetration of mouse skin, than that of control normal cercariae (36%).

It is suggested that death of S. mansoni cercariae during penetration of mammalian host skin is probably due to exhaustion of their energy reserves.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 52 , Issue 4 , December 1978 , pp. 339 - 342
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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References

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