Schistosoma mansoni: effect of maintenancein vitroon the physiology and biochemistry of adult worms

Abstract

In Medium 199 supplemented with calf serum (+ 10%), adultSchistosoma mansoniproduced a mean total of 400 eggs/worm pair during maintenance for 10 daysin vitro. During the period of egg depositionin vitro, the dry weight of worm pairs decreased by 35%. Biomass decreases were proportionally greater in female worms than in males. Declines in the dry weight of female worms were mainly due to decreases in protein content, while biomass decreases in males resulted from losses of both protein and glycogen. Glucose was depleted from the maintenance medium at a rate of approximately 200 μg/worm pair/day during each of the first 3 daysin vitro, while concentrations of glucose in the medium of above 1 g/litre did not affect the degree of glycogen depletion observed in adultS. mansoniduring culture for 24 h. The contribution of the loss of schistosome gut contentsin vitroto the observed changes is discussed. The work described represents part of an attempt at logical design ofin vitroculture.