Further studies on the carbohydrate metabolism of immature Schistosoma mansoni

Further studies on the carbohydrate metabolism of immature Schistosoma mansoni. International Journal for Parasitology 3: 783–787. Analysis of whole cercariae, cercarial bodies and tails and schistosomula shows the tail contains 26 per cent of the cercarial nitrogen, 46 per cent of the glycogen and 59 per cent of the cytochrome oxidase. 32 per cent of the total nitrogen and 22 per cent of the glycogen of the cercarial body is lost during penetration. Oxygen uptake of adult worms but not of cercariae increases between 30 and 37°C. A temperature of 41°C partly inhibits cercarial oxygen uptake but not that of adult worms. Incubation of schistosomula, 21-day-old and adult worms in nitrogen increases the rate of glycolysis.