Intestinal disaccharidase activity in schistosomiais mansoni: an evolutionary study of mice with different degrees of infestation

Schistosomiasis mansoni attacks a number of organs, of which the intestine and liver are the most affected. This analysis was undertaken in order to verify the degree to which the small intestine is attacked, in accordance with the intensity and duration of infestation by Schistosoma mansoni; it focused on the activity of disaccharidase — lactase, saccharase and maltase — in 112 mice, divided into 3 groups: group I, for control; group II, infested with 30 cercariae; and group III, infested with 60 cercariae. We observed a fall in lactase, saccharase and maltase activity in the small intestine, as a result of infestation by schistosomiasis, of the duration of infestation and of the interaction between the two. The ileum was the section showing greatest sensitivity to schistosomiasis, and its disaccharidases fell off right from the start of infestation. On the other hand, the jejunum only showed such alterations much later on, except as regards lactase. An increase in disaccharidase activity was detected in all groups as the age of the animals increased, but this was quantitatively lower in the infested animals. Infestation with 30 and 60 cercariae should he seen as of the same degree, as they produced similar reductions in disaccharidase activity.