title: Adaptation of three Babesia divergens isolates to continuous culture in rat erythrocytes.
abstract: Three Babesia divergens isolates have been cultured continuously for 6 months in rat erythrocytes using the candle jar technique. One isolate was already rat-adapted, the other two became adapted to rats through continuous culturing in rat erythrocytes. Babesia was cultured in rat erythrocytes in RPMI medium supplemented with 20% foetal calf serum. The highest parasitaemia 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 extra-cellular merozoites, when separated from the red blood cells, they retained their infectivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Al Fatah University, Tripoli, Libya.
authors.forename: Najla B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Musa
authors.forename: Mahrashan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Abdel Gawad
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000469:parasitology*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008297:Male; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000662:veterinary; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013156:Splenectomy