title: The adaptation of three isolates of Babesia divergens to continuous culture in rat erythrocytes.
abstract: Three isolates of Babesia divergens have been cultured continuously for 6 months in rat erythrocytes using the candle jar technique (Trager & Jensen, 1976). One isolate was already rat-adapted, the other two became adapted to rats through continuous culture in rat erythrocytes. Parasites were cultured in rat erythrocytes in RPMI medium supplemented with 20% foetal calf serum. The highest parasitaemia obtained was 35% and multi-parasitization of red blood cells was often observed. Cultures of B. divergens remained infective to splenectomized rats. Cultures with high parasitaemias contained a large number of extracellular merozoites. When separated from the red blood cells, these extracellular merozoites retained their infectivity.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Laboratories for Experimental Parasitology, University of Glasgow.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ben Musa
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000254:growth & development*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013156:Splenectomy