title: Effects of diet on the lipid composition of the digestive gland-gonad complex of Biomphalaria glabrata (Gastropoda) infected with larval Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda).
abstract: This study examined the effects of a larval Echinostoma caproni infection on the neutral lipid composition of the digestive gland-gonad complex (DGG) of Biomphalaria glabrata snails fed hen's egg yolk supplemented with lettuce (Y-L) or lettuce supplemented with Tetramin (L-T). Snails were experimentally infected with the miracidial stage of this echinostome, and their DGGs containing daughter rediae were analyzed for neutral lipids five weeks post-infection by qualitative and quantitative thin-layer chromatography. Light microscopy using Oil Red O (ORO) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to localize neutral lipids in the rediae. The DGGs of infected snails maintained on the Y-L diet showed a significant increase in free sterols and a significant decrease in triacylglycerols compared to uninfected snails maintained on the Y-L diet. The DGGs of infected snails maintained on the L-T diet showed no significant difference in free sterols or triacylglycerols compared to uninfected snails maintained on the L-T diet. ORO staining and TEM showed the presence of lipid droplets in rediae from snails on the Y-L diet. The significant decrease in triacylglycerols in the DGGs of infected snails maintained on the Y-L diet suggests that triacylglycerols were utilized by the rediae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Lafayette College, Easton, PA 18042.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beers
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujino
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sherma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004032:Diet; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004451:Echinostomiasis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004530:Egg Yolk; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva; D018545:Lactuca; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides