The freshwater snail, Biomphalaria glabrata is the obligate intermediate host for the transmission of the parasitic trematode, Schistosoma mansoni the causative agent of the chronic debilitating neglected tropical disease, schistosomiasis. We showed previously that in juvenile snails, early and significant induction of stress manifested by the expression of stress proteins, Hsp 70, Hsp 90 and r...

As wild populations decline, ex situ propagation provides a potential bank of genetic diversity and a hedge against extinction. These programs are unlikely to succeed if captive populations do not recover from the severe bottleneck imposed when they are founded with a limited number of individuals from remnant populations. In small captive populations allelic richness may be lost due to genetic...

Experimental infections of Egyptian Radix natalensis with French miracidia of Fasciola hepatica were carried out to determine if this snail might act as an intermediate host in the life cycle of this digenean in Egypt. Single exposures of R. natalensis to miracidia (2/snail) and two successive exposures (a total of 4 miracidia/ snail) were performed using lymnaeids measuring 1 to 6 mm in height...

The molluscicidal effect of nicotinanilide was evaluated and compared with niclosamide (2',5-dichloro-4'-nitrosalicylanilide, ethanolamide salt) against different stages of the freshwater snail Lymnaea luteola i.e., eggs, immature, young mature, and adults. Calculated values of lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90) showed that both nicotinanilide and niclosamide as toxic against eggs, immature,...

The effects of naturally acidified seawater on shell traits were quantified through the comparison of dove snails (Family: Columbellidae) Anachis misera from vent environments with Euplica sp. from non-vent sites in northeastern Taiwan. Samples of A. misera were collected around a shallow vent (24.8341 N, 121.96191 E), which included the east, south, southwest, and northwest sites. An absence o...

Epicatechin (Epi), a flavanol found in foods such as dark chocolate has previously been shown to enhance memory formation in our model system, operant conditioning of aerial respiration in Lymnaea. In those experiments snails were trained in Epi. Here we ask whether snails exposed to Epi before training, during the consolidation period immediately following training, or 1 h after training would...

A survey of trematode larvae in the fresh water snail, Bithynia goniomphalos in the main water reservoir of Huai Thalaeng district, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, was conducted. The study site is in an area with a high prevalence of Opisthorchis viverrini infection. Malacological samplings were made during the year 2000 to study the prevalence and intensity of infection. Parasitological ...