Figure 1.

Schematic cartoon of the experimental design. (1) Biomphalaria glabrata snails (intermediate hosts of S. mansoni) release the infective form of the parasite (cercariae) for human or other mammalian definitive hosts; (2) about 100 cercariae were used to infect the definitive host; (3) CD1 Mice were used as definitive host in our experiment, and after 8–10 weeks post-infection they were sacrificed to collect adult worms of the parasite; (4) adult worms were obtained by mice liver perfusion; (5) male and female worms were treated in 24-well culture plate with a dosage of PZQ (0.3 μM) with impact in the parasite but with the guarantee of not killing them. These worms were prepared for tegumental alterations study using SEM; (6) couple worms were treated in 24-well culture plate with a lethal dosage of PZQ (32 μM). These worms were analyzed and monitored under an inverted optical microscope.