A 31P-nmr study of the intact liver fluke Fasciola hepatica.
31P-NMR techniques offer a useful method of studying changes in the metabolism of intact parasitic worms. The liver flukes, Fasciola hepatica, provide good quality 31P high resolution NMR spectra for at least 6 h under anaerobic conditions. The levels of ATP remain constant throughout this period. There is no signal for phosphocreatine or phosphoarginine. In contrast to the findings in mammalian tissues, there is a distinct peak for the terminal phosphate of ADP. A number of signals are observed in the phosphodiester region of the spectrum the largest of which is identified as L-alpha-glycerophosphoryl choline. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) causes an appreciable increase in the levels of sugar phosphates when the flukes are incubated in the absence of glucose. The addition of glucose also causes a marked increase in the signals for the hexose phosphate.
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D006600:Hexosephosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology
D006600:Hexosephosphates; D010710:Phosphates; D010758:Phosphorus; D012701:Serotonin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D005947:Glucose