EIMERIA-TENELLA - INVITRO DEVELOPMENT IN IRRADIATED BOVINE KIDNEY-CELLS

The initial infection and first-generation development of E. tenella was quantified using a cloned MDBK (Madin-Darby bovine kidney) cell line, irradiated with .gamma. radiation prior to infection, as the host cell. Irradiated cell cultures were found to be more susceptible to infection and had a greater capacity to support parasite development than nonirradiated cultures. The larger proportion of cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, the larger individual cell size and the inhibition of cell division in the irradiated cultures were all factors contributing to the increased susceptibility to infection and capacity to support parasite growth and development. The application of this technique (host cell irradiation) to the cultivation of other intracellular protozoan parasites is discussed.