[Cell culture of snails. Their use in the study of immunologic host-parasite relationships in schistosomiasis]

The host-parasite relationship between Schistosoma mansoni and the snail Biomphalaria glabrata is so complex that its experimental study needs some particularly working methods: for instance molluscan organs and tissue's cultures. In the experiment described we report that digestive gland's cells cultures were grown on synthetic cultural medium. This one contained a physiological salt solution and a basal nutrient medium consisting of foetal calf serum, chicken embryo extract and amino-acids. In this case we observed good growth and multiplication of the digestive gland cells. This preliminary experiment has to be used in immunological studies regarding the origin and the mode of acquisition of the snail antigen by the cercariae membrane.