Abstract

The author has studied the beta-glucuronidase activity in several tissues such as liver, stomach and small intestine of the male and female rabbits infected with different doses of metacercariae of Clonorchis sinensis. The metacercariae of Clonorchis sinensis were isolated from Pseudorasbora parva caught in Kim Hae by digestion technic. The experimental animals were sacrificed in the period of 1, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35th days following the infection. The results obtained were summarized as follows: In the groups infected with 100 metacercariae, Beta-glucuronidase activity was slightly increased during the entire periods than control rabbits. It was the highest in the first day with 1.535 and 1.421 mu/g, 14th days with 2.521 and 2.200 mu/g, and then lowered by the time, gradually. In the groups infected with 500 metacercariae, Beta-glucuronidase activity was highly increased on the first day with 1.535 and 1.866 mu/g than that 100 metacercariae groups according to each organs. It was the highest on the 7th day and 14th day. In the groups infected with 1,000 metacercariae, beta-glucuronidase activity was remarkably increased in the first and 14th days according to each organs, and then lowered gradually day by day. beta-glucuronidase activity of all organs was more increased than that of normal organs and the highest activity in the liver with 2.521 mu/g, intestine(1.612) and stomach (1.581) respectively. beta-glucuronidase activity of rabbits was higher in the female than in the male. On the basis of these results, it was suggested that beta-glucuronidase activity was affected by the duration of infection and by the number of Clonorchis sinensis, according to the organs and sex of the rabbits.