Cultivation of Besnoitia besnoiti and evaluation of susceptibility of laboratory animals to cultured parasites.
Cultivation of Besnoitia besnoiti on five mammalian cell types showed that Vero (green monkey kidney), L929 (mouse fibroblasts) and BEK (bovine embryo kidney) cells were highly susceptible and were almost destroyed after 5 days of incubation, while MDBK (Madin-Darby bovine kidney) and BL (Theileria annulata-infected bovine lymphoid) cells were less affected. Intraperitoneal infection with culture-derived endozoites was fatal for gerbils (Meriones tristrami) and sand rats (Psammomys obesus). Rabbits showed fever, conjunctivitis and orchitis, but survived the infection. Mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters and Microtus guentheri did not show signs of illness, but developed specific antibodies to B. besnoiti. B. besnoiti subcultivated for 2 years in BL cells remained virulent for gerbils.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003411:Arvicolinae; D002460:Cell Line; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005347:Fibroblasts; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D014709:Vero Cells