Angiostrongylus costaricensis: culture of third-stage larvae to young adults in a defined medium.
The third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus costaricensis were successfully cultured to young adults in a chemically defined medium. The most suitable medium for the development was Waymouth's medium among eight defined media examined. Twenty-eight days after cultivation in this medium, 77% of the larvae developed to young adults, although these worms gradually died thereafter. When Waymouth's medium was supplemented with mouse red blood cells, these young adult worms continued their development. The mean body lengths of the worms cultivated in Waymouth's medium supplemented with RBCs were significantly larger than those of the worms in the medium without RBCs on Days 14 and 21 after cultivation. Addition of RBCs was essential for their further development. At 28 days after cultivation, the maximum body length of the worms was 2.1 mm for males and 3.3 mm for females. Additions of serum, yeast extract lactalbumin hydrolysate, and growth factors to Waymouth's medium did not provide any additional benefits for worm development.
Department of Parasitology, Chiba University School of Medicine, Japan.
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Hata
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Kojima
D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D000818:Animals; D003470:Culture Media; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology
D003470:Culture Media