Abstract.

The effect of schistosome infection on in vivo gluconeogenesis was studied in mice. Mice infected for 6 weeks displayed no nutritional pathology, regardless of nutritional treatment. All mice with patent infections (9 weeks) displayed decreased rates of growth and food consumption as well as significantly reduced gross conversion efficiencies.

The glucogenic capacity, % pyruvate incorporated/g liver, was markedly reduced in infected fasted mice when compared with fasted controls. Total glucogenesis, % pyruvate incorporated/100 g body water, was the same in infected and control groups and the compensatory response in infected individuals was correlated with increased liver mass. The level of hepatic glycogen was significantly greater in infected fasted mice than in their unparasitized counterparts.