EFFECTS OF AESTIVATION AND STARVATION ON THE NEUTRAL LIPID AND PHOSPHOLIPID CONTENT OF BIOMPHALARIA GLABRATA INFECTED WITH SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology 2007-02, Vol.93 (1), p.1-3
• Main Authors: White, Meredith M, Fried, Bernard, Sherma, Joseph
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aestivation; Animals; BIOCHEMISTRY-PHYSIOLOGY; Biological and medical sciences; Biomphalaria - chemistry; Biomphalaria - parasitology; Biomphalaria - physiology; Chromatography; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Densitometers; Densitometry; Digestive glands; Esters; Estivation - physiology; Food Deprivation - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastropoda; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Humidity; Infections; Invertebrates; Larvae; Lecithin; Lipids; Lipids - analysis; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; Metabolism; Metabolites; Mollusks; Nonesterified fatty acids; Phosphatidylcholine; Phosphatidylcholines; Phosphatidylcholines - analysis; Phospholipids; Phospholipids - analysis; Relative humidity; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosoma mansoni - physiology; Snails; Spring water; Starvation; Sterols - analysis; Thin layer chromatography; Vectors. Intermediate hosts; Weight loss
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.1645/GE-945R.1

The effects of aestivation or starvation on the neutral lipid and phospholipid content of Biomphalaria glabrata patently infected with Schistosoma mansoni were determined by high-performance thin-layer chromatography–densitometry. Infected–aestivated snails were maintained in a moist chamber at 24 ± 1 C and a relative humidity of 98 ± 1%. Infected–starved snails were maintained in artificial spring water (ASW) at 23 ± 1 C without exogenous food. Infected snails (the controls) were maintained in ASW at 23 ± 1 C and fed lettuce ad libitum. The 3 groups were maintained in the laboratory for 7 days, and then the lipids from the digestive gland–gonad complex (DGG) were extracted and analyzed by class. Infected–aestivated snails exhibited greater mortality rate and weight loss after 7 days than did the infected–starved snails. The steryl ester concentration in the infected–starved snails was significantly increased (P = 0.010) compared with the controls but not compared with infected– aestivated snails; the concentration of phosphatidylcholine in infected–aestivated snails was significantly decreased (P = 0.007) compared with the controls but not when compared with the infected–starved snails. Aestivation or starvation had a significant effect on the concentration of certain lipid classes in the DGG of B. glabrata infected with S. mansoni.