[Establishment of germinal cell line of Echinococcus granulosus].

AIM: To establish a cell line of Echinococcus granulosus.

METHODS

The proliferating membranes striped from liver cysts in a naturally infected sheep from Urumq were released to monodispersed germinal cells by grinding. The germinal cells were cultivated in the RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10%-20% calf serum on collagen-coated 24-well culture plate alternately from passage 1 to passage 14, and then continued. The morphological feature and growth situation were observed by light microscopy. The cultured cells were inoculated into BALB/c mice to identify the infectivity. ELISA was used to determine the immunogenicity of the cells.

RESULTS

The germinal cells have been cultivated continuously up to passage 75. The subcultured cells were circular in shape with smooth surface and had the tendency to form syncytia and tissue-like masses. The cells from this cell line could be stored for at least 15 days in refrigerator at 4 degrees C and 10 months in liquid nitrogen. No cyst materials were detected in the mice inoculated with cells. The antigens from cell line could react with positive sera from mice infected with protoscoleces and sera against secreted antigens of cyst membrane, soluble antigens from cyst membrane, soluble antigens from protoscoleces and SHF.

CONCLUSION

A germinal cell line of Echinococcus granulosus was successfully established.