Physiological response to parasitism. I. Changes in carbohydrate reserves of the molluscan host.

ABSTRACT

A comparison of tissue carbohydrate levels is made between larval trematode infected and uninfected snails under three physiological conditions, i.e., unstarved, starved and ré-fed. Under all these conditions, infected snails were found to be hyperglycaemic compared to uninfected snails. Contrasting behaviour of the digestive gland and the foot under these conditions, suggests that some inherent mechanism in the foot is activated which enables it to take up an additional role of seplenishing carbohydrate lost to the pararites.