Host serum modifies the drug susceptibility of Babesia bovis in vitro.
Babesia parasites generally require a defined percentage of serum in the culture medium for their in vitro growth. In this study, we attempted to culture Babesia bovis in a serum-free condition. The growth pattern and morphology of B. bovis in serum-free (plain) GIT medium were unaltered as compared to those of the standard growth condition containing 40% bovine serum in M199. When exposed to the test drugs, the parasite in plain GIT medium showed clearly lower IC50 values than those in 40% serum-containing G IT medium, indicating that several serum components may interfere with the drug bio-availability. Therefore, the serum-free culture system is useful for standardizing drug test protocols and understanding the roles of serum factors in the drug test.
Bork
S
S
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
Okamura
M
M
Matsuo
T
T
Kumar
S
S
Yokoyama
N
N
Igarashi
I
I
D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016793:Babesia bovis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D013997:Time Factors
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free