Abstract

The trematode Paramphistomum cervi empolyed in this experiment was obtained from the reticulum of cattle slaughtered at the local abbatoir. The worms were selected and washed several times in normal sterilized saline solution. Each about ten of intact worms were incubated in 50 cc volume of special incubation flasks with incubation mixture consisting of 50 cc of Krebs-Ringer phosohate buffer (pH 7.4) to which were added universally labeled C(14)-glucose and non-radioactive carrier glucose concentration of 200 mg per cent. The worms were allowed to incubate for 3 hours in the incubator at 38 C. After incubation period, respiratory CO(2) samples from central wall of incubation flask were analysed for total CO(2) production rate and their specific activity of respiratory CO(2). Glycogen samples isolated from worms were analysed for the tissue concentration and their radioactivities in order to determine the turnover rate of glycogen pool. The glucose uptake rate was determined by analysing the difference of the glucose concentration in a medium before and after incubation period. Radioactivities of these series of experiments were counted by an endwindow Geiger-Muller counter as an infinitely thin samples. The quantitative analysis of C(14)-glucose utilized by Paramphistomum cervi was summerized as the following. The glucose uptake rate by Paramphistomum was a mean value of 2.32+/-0.27 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt. and total CO(2) production rate by the worms averaged 10.85+/-0.41 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt. The relative specific activities of respiratory CO(2) averaged 49.72+/-13.20 per cent. Thus, a mean of 49.72 per cent of total CO(2) production rate was originated from the glucose in the medium, therefore the rate of CO(2) production derived from medium glucose was mean of 5.24+/-2.16 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt. Thus, the average value of 37.46+/-5.28 per cent of glucose utilized by the worms from the medium glucose was oxidized to respiratory CO(2). The tissue concentration of Paraphismum was a mean of 41.56+/-5.82 micro-mole/hr/g of wet wt or 4.16+/-0.72 per cent/g , and the turnover rate of glycogen pool yielded with a mean of 0.12+/-0.014 percent/hr or 0.06+/-0.04 mg/hr/g of wet wt. Therefore, a mean value of 16.75+/-4.84 per cent of glucose was incorporated to the glycogen. These data account for that at least 54.21 per cent of the utilized glucose by the worms participated in furnishing the oxidation into respiratory CO(2) and the synthetic process into glycogen. According to the above data of the experiment, it is suggested in the metabolic process of glucose by the Paramphistomum that the synthetic process into the glycogen is less active than the oxidative process into the resppiratory CO(2).