Metabolism of C(14)-glucose by Fasciola hepatica

1. The glucose uptake rate by Fasciola hepatica was a mean value of 9.62 +/- 0.54 micro moles/hr/g, and total CO2 production rate by the flukes averaged 24.28 +/- 4.26 micro moles/hr/g wet wt. The relative specific activity of respiratory CO2 showed a mean value of 79.89 +/- 1.78 per cent. The rate of CO2 production derived from medium C(14)-glucose was a mean of 19.55 +/- 3.56 micro moles/hr/g of wet wt. Therefore, the average value of 32.72 +/- 4.8 per cent of glucose utilized by the flukes from the medium C(14)-glucose was oxidized to respiratory CO2. 2. The tissue concentration of glycogen in F. hepatica was a mean of 38.36 +/- 2.91 mg/g or 3.84 +/- 0.29 %/g of wet wt, and the turnover rate of glycogen pool was a mean of 1.6+/-0.22 %/hr or 0.65 +/- 0.13 mg/hr/g. The average value of 37.26 +/- 3.86 per cent of glucose utilized by the fluke from the medium C(4)-glucose was incorporated to the glycogen. 3. These data account for that approximately 70 per cent of the utilized glucose by the flukes participated in furnishing the oxidation into respiratory CO2 and the synthetic process into glycogen.