Hymenolepis diminuta: Migration, and the rat host's intestinal and blood plasma glucose levels following dietary carbohydrate intake

Abstract

Changes in the biomass distribution of 14-day-old Hymenolepis diminuta in 10 worm infections were correlated with changing glucose gradients in the rat small intestine for up to 5 hr following the feeding of 1 g of glucose, sucrose, or corn starch in 2.5 ml of water. Following feeding there was an initial posteriad worm movement, followed by a marked anteriad migration on all three diets. Changes in worm biomass distribution were greatest following the sucrose meal; on all three diets the worm distribution changes did not follow the fluctuations in the intestinal glucose gradients. The amount of glucose present in the parasitized intestine following glucose feeding averaged 59% less than the control group. In contrast intestinal glucose content in the parasitized animals following sucrose and corn starch was initially higher than controls, but later averaged 19 and 22% less, respectively, than control groups. The decreases in intestinal glucose content in the parasitized animals are conservative estimates of the degree of nutritional predation by the worms. In parasitized rats blood plasma glucose levels, following glucose feeding, were initially hypoglycemic but became hyperglycemic from 2.5 hr post-feed. Similarly, blood plasma glucose levels remained hypoglycemic for up to 5 hr after feeding corn starch.