title: Morphological and biological characterization of cell line developed from bovine Echinococcus granulosus.
abstract: The taeniid tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus is the causative agent of echinococcal disease, a major zoonosis with worldwide distribution. Several efforts to establish an in vitro model of E. granulosus have been undertaken; however, many of them have been designed for Echinococcus multilocularis. In the present study, we have described and characterized a stable cell line obtained from E. granulosus bovine protoscoleces maintained 3 yr in vitro. Growth characterization, morphology by light, fluorescent and electronic microscopy, and karyotyping were carried out. Cell culture origin was confirmed by immunofluorescent detection of AgB4 antigen and by PCR for the mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase subunit 1 (DCO1) gene. Cells seeded in agarose biphasic culture resembled a cystic structure, similar to the one formed in secondary hosts. This cell line could be a useful tool to research equinococcal behavior, allowing additional physiological and pharmacological studies, such as the effect of growth factors, nutrients, and antiparasitic drugs on cell viability and growth and on cyst formation.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Altos Estudios en Ciencias de la Salud (CAECIS), Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI), Avenida Montes de Oca 745, Buenos Aires 1270, Argentina.
authors.forename: Claudia I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Echeverría
authors.forename: Dora M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Isolabella
authors.forename: Elio A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Prieto Gonzalez
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonardelli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: Alicia G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000469:parasitology*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D048209:Echinococcus granulosus / Q000166:cytology*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006652:Histological Techniques; D007621:Karyotyping; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV