title: Study of factors affecting growth of Leishmania in cultures.
abstract: The rate of growth of Leishmania major and L. infantum in El-On's culture media supplemented with human, dog, rat and avian blood was studied in vitro. Rabbit blood was used as a control. The effect of culture with these types of blood on the infectivity of both Leishmania strains to albino mice was also studied. The results showed that a good yield of both L. major and L. infantum parasites can be obtained in culture by using avian blood as substitute for rabbit blood in El-ON's medium. In addition, rat blood gave good results with L. infantum. The morphological forms of L. major and L. infantum on all types of blood supplemented media: elongated promastigotes, spindle promastigotes, paramastigotes and amastigoes were present all through the culture period with variable percentages. The infectivity to experimental animals was not affected by culture of both Leishmania strains on rabbit, human, rat, dog as well as avian blood supplemented media.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Azab
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: El-Sherif
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Abdel-Mawla
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bishara
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mikhail
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mohamed
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media