Carbohydrate metabolism in adult schistosomes of different strains and species.

In this comparative study the carbohydrate metabolism of Schistosoma japonicum, S. haematobium, S. intercalatum, S.

Aerobic to anaerobic transition in the carbohydrate metabolism of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae during transformation in vitro.

Schistosoma mansoni cercariae in water were shown to possess a largely aerobic energy metabolism, the Krebs cycle being the main terminal of carbohydrate breakdown. A metabolic transition towards a more anaerobic breakdown of carbohydrate could be achieved by incubation conditions which also stimulated biological transformation. Incubation of cercariae in a simple salt medium containing 5 mM glucose induced such a metabolic transition: beside carbon dioxide large amounts of lactate and pyruvate were excreted.

The energy metabolism of Schistosoma mansoni during its development in the hamster.

A detailed study was made of the changes in the carbohydrate metabolism of Schistosoma mansoni occurring during both the penetration of the skin of a hamster and the subsequent development of the schistosome in the lung, liver, and mesenteric veins of the host. During infection, within a few hours a transition occurs from a fully aerobic to a largely anaerobic energy metabolism. By 5 h postinfection, about 6% of carbohydrate breakdown occurs in the aerobic reactions of the Krebs cycle, whereas the rest occurs in the anaerobic formation of lactate.

The energy production of the adult Schistosoma mansoni is for a large part aerobic.

Pairs of adult Schistosoma mansoni were collected by perfusion of the mesenteric veins of experimentally infected hamsters which were anaesthetized with ether. The parasites were incubated in a simple salt medium with D-[6-14C]glucose for 3 h at 37 degrees C. Under aerobic conditions a considerable amount of labelled CO2 was formed, indicating that the Krebs cycle was operative.