Experimental infection of murine and human macrophages with Cystoisospora belli.
Extraintestinal cystoisosporosis by Cystoisospora belli has already been reported in HIV/AIDS patients, generally involving preferential invasion of mesenteric and trachaeobronchial lymph nodes, liver and spleen by unizoic cysts of this parasite, which may infect macrophages. To test this hypothesis, murine and human macrophages were exposed to sporozoites of C. belli and cultures were observed daily after contact with these cells. The parasites penetrated and multiplied by endodyogeny in both cell types and inserted themselves inside perinuclear vacuoles. After 48 h, extracellular parasites were removed from macrophage cultures and incubated in Monkey Kidney Rhesus cells (MK2) where there was intense multiplication. This is the first report of infection of macrophages by this parasite, which supports the hypothesis that these could act as C. belli host cells in extraintestinal sites.
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Disciplina de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Rua Frei Paulino, 30, Abadia, CEP 38025-180, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Deisy V
DV
Resende
Eliane
E
Lages-Silva
Dnieber C
DC
Assis
Aluízio
A
Prata
Márcia B
MB
Oliveira-Silva
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008264:Macrophages / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D021745:Sarcocystidae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000469:parasitology