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Investigations on the ketone body metabolism inBiomphalaria glabrata: Influence of starvation and of infection withSchistosoma mansoni

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Summary

Ketone body concentration, 3-hydroxybutyrate oxidation rates in vivo and in vitro in the hepatopancreas and the activities of enzymes of ketone body metabolism in mitochondrial samples from different tissues were investigated in normal specimens ofBiomphalaria glabrata and under conditions of starvation and of infection withSchistosoma mansoni.

  1. 1.

    Total ketone body concentration in the hemolymph is about 700 μM in normal snails and about 80 μM in snails starved for 5 days. In the hemolymph of infected snails the concentration of total ketone bodies is at a decreased level of 400–450 μM between days 12 and 31 p.i. Significantly increased concentrations of total ketone bodies are found on days 38 and 45 p.i. with about 1300 and 950 μM, respectively.

  2. 2.

    Oxidation rates of 3-hydroxybutyrate decrease significantly under conditions of starvation and infection compared with the normal state.

  3. 3.

    All enzymes of the HMG-CoA cycle as well as 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase are present in the hepatopancreas ofBiomphalaria glabrata. A complete HMG-CoA cycle can only be found in the hepatopancreas, other tissues lacking HMG-CoA synthase.

  4. 4.

    In general the activities of ketone body metabolism decrease under the conditions of starvation and infection withSchistosoma mansoni. Only in the ovotestis and head-foot-region of snails infected for 31 days do the activities of acetacetyl-CoA thiolase and 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase increase as compared with the normal state.

  5. 5.

    It is concluded that decreased ketone body concentration in the hemolymph of starved snails is due to decreased ketogenesis as a result of lacking substrate in this metabolic pathway. Increased concentrations of ketone bodies in snails infected for 38 days are mainly caused by decreased ketolytic activities in the tissues.

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Abbreviations

Acac :

acetoacetate

AcacCoAT :

acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase

BSS :

balanced salt solution

3-HB :

3-hydroxybutyrate

3-HBDH :

3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase

HMG-CoA :

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A

p.i. :

post infectionem

Suc-CoAT :

3-oxoacid-CoA transferase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologisches Institut und Zoologisches Museum der Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, D-2000, Hamburg 13, Germany

    R. Meyer, W. Becker & M. Klimkewitz

Authors
  1. R. Meyer
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  2. W. Becker
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  3. M. Klimkewitz
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This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

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Meyer, R., Becker, W. & Klimkewitz, M. Investigations on the ketone body metabolism inBiomphalaria glabrata: Influence of starvation and of infection withSchistosoma mansoni . J Comp Physiol B 156, 563–571 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691043

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