MANIPULATION OF BIOMPHALARIA-GLABRATA (SAY) (GASTROPODA, PLANORBIDAE)HEMOCYTES IN-VITRO

The propensity of molluscan haemocytes to clump irreversibly upon mixi ng in suspension, together with their strong adherence to many substra tes, compromises many efforts to obtain plasma-free or treated cells f or subsequent use in experimental protocols. An anti-clumping buffer d eveloped for use with haemocytes from the gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis was tested for its effectiveness with cells from Biomphalaria glabrata . While we were unable to obtain sufficient numbers of viable haemocyt es for subsequent experimentation after centrifugation, this divalent cation-chelating buffer induced rounding of adherent cells monolayered on glass. Thus, cells washed in physiological buffers could subsequen tly be retrieved as monodispersed suspensions. Such haemocytes retaine d some phagocytic activity, with levels of uptake improved when cells were held in buffeT with excess divalent cations before addition of ta rget particles.