Cultivation of Giardia duodenalis in Mongolian gerbils.
The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is susceptible to infection with Giardia duodenalis trophozoites. Each animal was orally infected with 0.5 ml Diamond's TYIS-33 culture medium containing 10(6) trophozoites. Cysts were then collected and concentrated by sucrose gradient centrifugation. G. duodenalis cysts were first observed in feces on day 5 post-infection. The characteristic of G. duodenalis infection in gerbils was intermittent cyst release. The range in the number of cysts released per gerbil for a 4-hour collection period was 0-1.5 x 10(3).
Tantawiwattananon
Nitipan
N
Department of Protozoology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sangloung
Charoonluk
C
Buddhirongawatr
Ruangrat
R
Sukthana
Yaowalark
Y
D000818:Animals; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D053058:Trophozoites