title: [Relationship between the pathogenicity of Schistosoma mansoni in mice and the susceptibility of the vector mollusk. III. Mortality, body and viscera weight].
abstract: The relationship between the development of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, body weight and mortality rate and the degree of susceptibility of Biomphalaria glabrata and B. tenagophila at which infective cercariae developed was studied. The study utilized Swiss mice, SPF, as definitive hosts and populations of snails genetically selected for character susceptibility as intermediate hosts. Low body weight and smaller viscera were observed in infected mice with cercariae originating from snails that showed a high degree of susceptibility. The higher susceptibility of molluscs infected with S. mansoni corresponded to a lower survival of the infected mice. These results lead to the conclusion that the higher degree of adaptation of the parasite to its intermediate hosts, evidenced by the high indexes of susceptibility, leads to different behaviour on the part of this parasite in its definitive host.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia do Instituto de Biologia da Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)-Campinas, SP-Brasil.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zanotti-Magalhaes
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Magalhaes
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000469:parasitology*; D001835:Body Weight; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000209:etiology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000209:etiology
vernacular_title: Relacao entre a patogenicidade do Schistosoma manoni em camundongos e a susceptibilidade do molusco vetor. III. Mortalidade, pesos corporal e das visceras.