400 Journal of Agricultural Research voi. xxn. no. 8 



6. EXPERIMENTS WITH EXTRACTS OF DIFFERENT ORGANS OF ASCARIS 



I^UMBRICOIDES 



It has already been stated that the body fluid of fresh specimens of 

 Ascaris lumbricoides is not hemolytic and that this fluid acquires 

 hemolytic properties as the parasites are kept in vitro. Extracts of 

 entire worms, on the other hand, were found to contain a hemolytic 

 substance which is apparently firmly bound to the tissues of the parasite. 

 These facts appear to indicate that the hemolytic substance is liberated 

 in rather small quantities and that it ultimately finds its way into the 

 body fluid. That the liberation of hemolysin from the tissues and cells 

 of the parasite is associated with metabolic processes of the worms is 

 advanced as a plausible explanation of the facts. In the host animal 

 the body fluid of the worm contains blood and blood products by which 

 the hemolysin is apparently neutralized. In vitro, on the other hand, 

 the blood elements disappear, as judged by the disappearance of 

 oxyhemoglobin ; and meanwhile fresh hemolysin which has found its way 

 into the fluid remains unbound. 



The question as to which morphological elements of Ascaris lumbri- 

 coides secrete the hemolytic substance or substances is interesting. A 

 number of specimens of the parasite were therefore dissected and the 

 intestine, reproductive organs, and body wall were separated into 

 different lots. Physiological salt-solution extracts from each lot were 

 tested on hog blood, and in a few cases on sheep blood. 



In one series of experiments it was found that the extracts of the 

 intestine were strongly hemolytic, whereas extracts of the body wall 

 showed no hemolytic eftects. Extracts of the reproductive organs were 

 moderately hemolytic. In a second series of experiments extracts of the 

 intestine were found to be very markedly hemolytic, whereas extracts 

 of the body wall and reproductive organs showed weak hemolytic power. 



In another series of experiments a number of worms were dissected, 

 and the body wall, reproductive organs, and chyle intestine were sepa- 

 rated into different lots. Each lot was washed in physiological salt 

 solution and dried with filter paper. The material in each lot was then 

 put in an incubator at 40° C. and allowed to remain there for 24 hours. 

 Pulverized material from each lot was then suspended in physiological 

 salt solution and tested on washed sheep corpuscles. Extract of the 

 intestine produced rapid hemolysis at 37° (in about i hour), whereas 

 extract of body wall of approximately the same strength as that of the 

 intestine produced no hemolysis even after 3 hours at 37° followed 

 by 18 hours in a refrigerator. Extract of the reproductive organs pro- 

 duced no hemolysis after 3 hours at 37° but after an additional 

 period of 18 hours at 8° a slight indication of hemolysis was observed. 



