Control of snail hosts of bilharziasis in Egypt. 2. Effect of triphenyltin hydroxide (Du-Ter) on carbohydrate metabolism of the snails Biomphalaria alexandria and Bulinus tuncatus.

Previous work has shown that the aerobic oxidation of certain intermediates of Krebs cycle by the snail B. alexandrina and B. truncatusis inhibited by TPT. This paper reports data on the effect of TPT on glucose utilization, glycolysis, glycogen content, and glucone ogenesis in snail tissue preparations. The compounds at its LC50 inhibited gluconeogenesis, stimulated glycolysis and markedly reduced the glycogen content and glucose utilization in both snails. However, the effects were more pronounced in B. truncatus than in B. alexandrina. Possible interpretations of these findings are discussed with reference to published arrangements for regulation of gluconeogenesis and glycolysis, coupling of electorn transport to ATP synthesis and also to our present knowledge of the chemical and biological specificity of TPT.