Purine metabolism in Biomphalaria glabrata under starvation and infection with Schistosoma mansoni.

Purine content and its alterations during a starvation period of 29 days and an infection period of 52 days were studied. During starvation the amount of uric acid increased from 2.11 +/- 0.95 mg/g dry wt in control snails to a maximum of 6.73 +/- 3.99 mg/g dry wt on day 29 of starvation for uric acid and from 4.73 +/- 2.10 mg/g dry wt in control snails to a maximum of 11.29 +/- 3.48 mg/g dry wt on day 23 of starvation for guanine. During infection there was an increase with both uric acid and guanine to maximum on day 40 post infection (7.17 +/- 3.51 mg/g dry wt for uric acid, 14.83 +/- 4.53 mg/g dry wt for guanine) and a decrease afterwards. Of all the snails' organs tested, only in the kidney were purines detectable, but it was impossible to find excreted purines.