Histochemical and electrophoretical studies in normal and infected Biomphalaria glabrata. II. Acid and alkaline phosphatase.

Various organs of normal and infected Biomphalaria glabrata were analysed, electrophoretically and histochemically, with respect to the acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activity. In general, digestive gland, ovotestis and stomach show an increase in acid phosphatase activity in infected snails, whereas kidney and albumen gland show less activity. Alkaline phosphatase does not show any significant different in activity between normal and infected snails. Electrophoretically digestive glands of snails, twenty days after infection, show an extra faint band, whereas seven days after infection, the snails do not show any such extra band. Histochemically also after twenty days, infected snails show more activity in the sporocyst region, but those infected for only seven days, do not show any increase in acid phosphatase activity.