title: In vitro culture of Plasmodium berghei-ANKA maintains infectivity of mouse erythrocytes inducing cerebral malaria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection with Plasmodium berghei is a widely used model of murine malaria and a powerful tool for reverse genetic and pathogenesis studies. However, the efficacy of in vitro reinvasion of erythrocytes is generally low, limiting in vitro studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected blood obtained from a susceptible infected mouse was cultured in various conditions and in vitro parasitaemia was measured every day to evaluate the rate of reinvasion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High quality culture media were used and reinvasion rates were improved by vigorous orbital shaking of the flask and increasing density of the medium with gelatin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using these settings, reinvasion of normal mouse erythrocytes by the parasite was obtained in vitro over two weeks with preservation of the infectivity in vivo.
authors: Vascular Immunology Unit, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. rjambou@pasteur.fr
authors: Ronan
authors: R
authors: Jambou
authors: Fatima
authors: F
authors: El-Assaad
authors: Valery
authors: V
authors: Combes
authors: Georges E
authors: GE
authors: Grau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D016779:Malaria, Cerebral / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media