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Studies on Schistocephalus solidus

3. The in vitro cultivation of the plerocercoid

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

Morag L. O. McCaig  and
C. Adrian Hopkins
Morag L. O. McCaig
Affiliation:
Wellcome Laboratories for Experimental Parasitology, The University, Glasgow
C. Adrian Hopkins
Affiliation:
Wellcome Laboratories for Experimental Parasitology, The University, Glasgow
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Extract

Schistocephalus plerocercoids in the weight range 2–200mg F.W. recovered from the perivisceral cavity of Gasterosteus aculeatus were cultured in various media. In a medium composed of 25% horse serum, 0·5% yeast extract, 0·65% glucose and Hanks's saline at pH 7·1, 21°C, 95% air +5% CO2, dry weight increases of up to 500% were recorded in 8 days. The specific growth rate of large plerocercoids was only one-tenth of the rate observed in small plerocercoids. A plerocercoid of double the weight of another had approximately half the specific growth rate.

Worms after 8 days cultivation were found to have only slightly higher than normal glycogen and water content, and to be able to mature when heated to 40°C. However, the rate of growth slowed to zero by the 24th day in culture at 21°C. Electron microscopic examination showed a ‘deposit’ formed over the microvilli, thin at 8 days but dense after 21 days.

The in vivo glycogen and water content of plerocercoids from 3–300 mg F.W. was determined. Glycogen rose from 24% in plerocercoids of 10mg F. W. to 50–55% in plerocercoids over 80mg F. W. The water content was found to mimic precisely this change, falling from 82% to a plateau of 67–69%.

We wish to thank Professor Gareth Owen for permission to use the photograph shown in the Plate and for his help while using the electron microscope. It is also a pleasure to thank Miss Patricia Grant for her technical assistance.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , May 1965 , pp. 257 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1965

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