Growth of Entamoeba invadens in organotypic cultures of embryonic chick intestine.

Abstract

Entamoeba invadens from axenic and monoxenic cultures was inoculated into expiants of embryonic chick intestine, which were then cultured in perfusion chambers at 30 °C. The growth and metabolic activity of the explants in cultures were evaluated in terms of fibroblastic outgrowth and extent of liquefaction of the plasma clots in which they were embedded. The effects of several media used to fill the perfusion chambers on the survival of the explants were studied. It was found that amoebae developed best in those explants which themselves showed most vitality; this was in turn related to the kind of fluid medium used in the culture. Amoebae in the explants fed on mucous secretion and on dead cells and penetrated into intact tissue without apparent histolytic activity. It is suggested that the living explants provided the amoebae with certain enzymes which the latter were unable to produce at the temperature of incubation. Approximately 40% of all cultures made became positive for amoebae. This is attributed to the fact that not all explants retained the amoebae injected into them, before they were placed in culture.