The development and merozoite production of Sarcocystis falcatula and 2 isolates (SN6 and SN2) of Sarcocystis neurona were studied in various cultured cell lines inoculated with culture-derived merozoites. All 3 parasites underwent multiple cycles of schizogony in VERO cells, bovine monocytes (M617 cells), and bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (CPA). Sarcocystis neurona strains SN6 and SN2 formed schizonts in rat myoblasts (L6) but not in quail myoblasts (QM7); S. falcatula formed schizonts in QM7 cells but not in L6 cells. Merozoites did not develop to sarcocysts in the myoblast cells lines. During a 47-day culture period in VERO cells, SN6 produced substantially more merozoites than did SN2 or S. falcatula. M617 cells produced substantially more merozoites of SN6 than did VERO or CPA cells. During a 17-day culture period of SN6, M617 cells produced mean totals of 4.7 × 108 merozoites, VERO cells produced 1.9 × 108 merozoites, and CPA cells produced 5.9 × 107 merozoites. At 4–12 days after inoculation of cultured cells with SN6, M617 cells cultured in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) produced a mean merozoite total of 5.1 × 108 compared to 3.6 × 108 for culture medium containing 1% FBS.

American Society of Parasitologists
2000
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