The physiological labelling of schistosoma japonicum cercariae with carbon 14

The snails (Oncomelania quadrasi) fed with C labelled sugars, proteins and phospholipids shedded labelled cercariae after 72-96 hours. Autoradiographs of whole worms developing from labelled cercariae shedded from snails fed with C labelled sugars and phospholipids showed that the label was retained and the radioactivity was distributed uniformly throughout the whole fluke. The level of activity was high, especially with flukes developing from C labelled sugar cercariae, having an activity of 49 cpm per organism. The activity can be retained 37 days after their penetration of the body of the infected host. The value of our findings in the investigation of certain problems in schistosomiasis research have been discussed. (Summary)