Chemical composition of Litomosoides carinii microfilarial sheaths.

Litomosoides carinii microfilariae were exsheathed by freezing and thawing, and the sheaths were separated by filtration. Samples of pure sheaths thus obtained were hydrolyzed, methanolyzed or oxidized with nitric acid under pressure at 300 degrees C, respectively, and were analyzed for amino acids, sugars, fatty acids or for metal ions and phosphorus. Almost 75% of the sheath dry weight could thus be accounted for.