title: Primary culture of the region of the amebocyte-producing organ of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni.
abstract: Biomphalaria glabrata snails are major hosts for the digenetic trematoda Schistosoma mansoni, the causative agent of human schistosomiasis. The success or failure of the infection will be dependent on the mobilization of the molluskan internal defense system, where a major role will be played by circulating hemocytes produced by the APO (amebocyte-producing organ) of the snail. In this report, the primary culture of the APO region of B. glabrata was obtained for the first time, as well as a control culture of the ovotestis. Three different cell populations migrated easily from the explants in culture, with no need of any dispersion agent. The cells grew in suspension at an incubation temperature of 15 degrees C and the cultures were maintained viable for up to two weeks. Two of these cell populations obtained resembled cell types known to be present in the hemolymph of Biomphalaria. The availability of APO cells in culture may contribute to a better understanding of the internal defense in mollusks, in general, as well as the specific response of B. glabrata to S. mansoni infection.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: P M Z
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Fortes-Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000166:cytology* / Q000469:parasitology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology