Taeniid tapeworm responses to in vitro glucose.
Experimental taeniid strobilae from Taenia solium and T. crassiceps (WFU strain) were incubated for 0-72 h in 0, 5 or 20 mM glucose solutions and further exposed for 15 min to the gap junction fluorochrome Lucifer Yellow. Frozen sections were obtained from each worm and observed under an epifluorescent microscope. Worm sections from strobilae incubated with glucose, revealed intense fluorescence in the base of the tegumentary surface, suggesting that this tissue behaves as a gap junction complex. Fluorescence intensity differences between control worms not exposed to glucose and worms incubated with glucose, were highly significant. The results demonstrate that under in vitro conditions, glucose is taken up along the whole strobilar tegument in both taeniid species, suggesting, that although taeniids attached to the duodenum probably take up most of their nutrients directly from the mucosal wall, the capacity for absorbing glucose along the tegumentary surface is always active and may increase the survival capacity of these intestinal worms by promoting glucose absorption at other points in the intestinal lumen.
Willms
Kaethe
K
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Ciudad Universitaria, México 04510, México. kaethe@servidor.unam.mx
Presas
Ana María Fernández
AM
Jiménez
José Agustín
JA
Landa
Abraham
A
Zurabián
Rimma
R
Ugarte
María Eugenia Juárez
ME
Robert
Lilia
L
D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004386:Duodenum / Q000469:parasitology; D005453:Fluorescence; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D007546:Isoquinolines; D051379:Mice; D013621:Taenia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D041201:Taenia solium / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D007546:Isoquinolines; C017475:lucifer yellow; D005947:Glucose