Effects of Echinostoma trivolvis (trematoda) infection on metallic ions in the host snail Helisoma trivolvis (gastropoda)

Abstract

Flame and graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry were used to study the metallic ions in the digestive gland-gonad complex (DGG) of Helisoma trivolvis snails infected with the daughter rediae of Echinostoma trivolvis and in uninfected DGG. Seven metals were found to be present in infected and uninfected DGG at concentrations above the detection limits of the analytical methods. Of these, sodium was present in significantly higher amounts (Student’s t-test, confidence level of 95%) in the infected versus uninfected DGG; magnesium and manganese occurred in significantly lower amounts in the infected DGG. Our results were compared with those from a Bulgarian study in which neutron activation analysis was used to determine elements in Lymnaea stagnalis snails infected with the intramolluscan stages of the 37-collar-spined echinostome E. revolutum. The Bulgarian study also reported a significant elevation of sodium but reduction of zinc in the hepatopancreas (i.e., digestive gland) of infected snails. Other differences between the two studies are discussed.