Biochemical Changes in Mice Infected with Spargana of the Cestode, Spirometra mansonoides

Abstract

Newly developed analytical methods permitting accurate measurements of a few microliters of blood have made possible the determination of some of the biochemical changes occurring mice following infection with the plerocercoid larva of Spirometra mansonoides. Mice infected with this parasite had a postabsorptive hyperglycemia, depressed levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, reduced amounts of serum total protein, essentially normal levels of calcium, chloride, nonprotein nitrogen, phosphorus, acid phosphatase, serum glutamic oxalacetic transminase, and a normal proportion of serum protein components. No significant difference in the mean glucose removal rates was observed in infected mice, as compared with their uninfected controls. The consistency of results indicates that microtechniques may be used to obtain estimations of the serum constituents in mice with parasitic infections.