Comparison between In vitro and In vivo Glycogen Utilization in the Fowl Nematode Ascaridia galli

Abstract

Glycogen detns. were made on 3 groups of mature A. lineata [male][male] and [female] [female] . Group I controls were removed from the host after a normal feeding period, group II were starved within the host for 48 hrs. and group III were starved anaerobically in 1 % saline at 41.5[degree] [plus or minus] 1[degree]C. for 48 hrs. With analysis of approx. 10 samples for each group, [female] [female] reduced their glycogen store from 4.66 in the control to 1.16 in group II and 1.01% glycogen in group III. In [male] [image] the glycogen loss was from 3.81 to 0.43% in vivo starvation and to 0.26% with in vitro starvation . The similarity in the rate of glycogen utilization under in vivo starvation and the in vitro rate with both [male] [male] and [female] [female] in the present expts. indicates that the in vitro methods used by earlier investigators reflect reliable information on metabolism within the host. The avian A. galli utilized its glycogen store more rapidly than the larger Ascaris lumbricoides used by other experimenters at the typical body temps. of their respective hosts.