Abstract
Fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of live tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides corti incubated in 10 mM 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) showed that these larvae metabolize 5-FU to α-fluoro-β-ureidopropionic acid (FUPA), α-fluoro-β-alanine (FBA1) and fluoronucleotides (FNuct). This metabolism is predominantly catabolic, since as time progressed (up to 7 h) the 5-FU signal continuously decreased while the FBA1 signal correspondingly increased and the composite FNuct peak remained small. Similar spectra were obtained from acid extracts of tetrathyridia, except that an additional, very small fluoronucleoside (FNuc) composite peak could be detected. We found 5-FU to be unsuccessful in inhibiting the growth of M. corti tetrathyridia in mice; it is postulated that this was due to the failure of the larvae to effectively anabolize 5-FU.
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