Alterations in polyamine levels of nematode, earthworm, leech and planarian during regeneration, temperature and osmotic stresses.

Free-living nematodes, Caenorhabditis elegans and Dorylaimus fodori, contain putrescine and spermidine. Putrescine, spermidine and spermine occur in the parasitic Nematoda, Ascaris suum, Anisakis simplex and Dirofilaria immitis. Earthworms, Eisenia foetida, Tubifex hattai and Pheretima communissima and the leech, Hirudo nipponia (belonging to Annelida) and the planarian, Dugesia japonica (belonging to Platyhelminthes) contain homospermidine and spermine in addition to putrescine and spermidine. Regenerated heads of E. foetida and D. japonica are rich in putrescine indicating the stimulation of its synthesis during regeneration. Putrescine and spermidine levels temporarily increase after heat shock in C. elegans, E. foetida and D. japonica and cold shock and hypertonic osmotic shock treatments in D. japonica.