title: Study of the trophozoite surface of Entamoeba histolytica with high resolution cytochemical studies and scanning electron microscopy.
abstract: A study of positive and negative electrical surface charges of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites axenically cultured was carried out by means of incubation with colloidal iron solutions at pH 4.0 and 1.8, respectively. The samples were examined under the transmission electron microscope. Human erythrocytes were studied using the same experimental conditions as controls. In these cells the surface negative charges were homogeneously distributed on the surface, whereas the positive charges were observed as irregularly distributed patches. No electrical charges were labelled into the trophozoite surface with the colloidal iron solutions employed. It can be correlated with previous biochemical and cytochemical studies, as well as with experimental data obtained by other authors. Likewise surface configuration was studied using the scanning electron microscope in three pathogenic strains of E. histolytica cultured in axemic or monoxenic conditions. A detailed description of the trophozoite surface configuration was made and findings were correlated with data obtained from transmission electron microscopy studies of the parasite. There were no differences in the trophozoite surface structure which could be related to the strains of E. histolytica examined or to the culture conditions employed.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003102:Colloids; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide