Metabolic profile of the liver of mice infected with cysticerci of Taenia crassiceps

Abstract

 Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of liver extracts from mice infected with cysticerci of Taenia crassiceps for 84 or 200 days showed differences in the concentrations of liver metabolites as compared with those of normal liver. The livers of mice infected for 84 days contained less glycogen and β-hydroxybutyrate but more glycine, taurine, betaine, phosphocholine (PC), choline, alanine and lactate. At 200 days post-infection (p.i.) the levels of hepatic glycogen and β-hydroxybutyrate remained lower and those of taurine, PC, choline, alanine and lactate were still elevated, but the concentration of glycine fell below that seen in the 84-day group and that of betaine assumed a value not statistically different from that of either the controls or the 84-day group. The concentrations of glucose, glycerophosphocholine, acylcarnitine, succinate and acetate stayed unchanged throughout the experiment.