Biomphalaria tenagophila is very important for schistosomiasis transmission in Brazil. However its mechanisms of interaction with Schistosoma mansoni are still scantly studied. Since this snail displays strains highly susceptible or completely resistant to the parasite infection, the knowledge of that would be a useful tool to understand the mechanism of snail resistance. Particularly, the Taim strain consistently shows absolute resistance against the trematode, and this resistance is a dominant character.A multidisciplinary research group was created aiming at studying B. tenagophila/S. mansoni interaction. The possibility for applying the knowledge acquired to obtain a biological model for the control of S. mansoni transmission in endemic areas is discussed.
The study of systematic, physiology, pharmacology and host-parasite relationship is compound by the lack of an efficient, simple and inexpensive method for anesthesia or muscle relaxing of gastropod molluscs.Pan (1958) demonstrated that snail exposition to a menthol solution produce muscle relaxation in pulmonate molluscs, allowing a better tissue fixation aiming histological analysis. Michelson (1958) demonstrated that the best snail distension and immobilization was obtained through the immersion of snail in urethan aqueous solution. This methodology has been largely used in many mollusc species, however the technique does not permit snail manipulation, which demands a complete state of anesthesia. Runhan et al. (1965) concluded that anesthetic or narcotic drugs have a variable effect on mollusc, depending on the mollusc species tested, the drug concentration and the exposition time. Planorbidae molluscs are routinely relaxed by sodium pentobarbital in taxonomical and
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