Comparative study of the pathogenicity of free-living amoebae in mice and their cytopathogenic effect in vitro
Grillot, R.; Ambroise-Thomas, P.
Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de ses Filiales 175(2): 187-193
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-9026 PMID: 6454465 Document Number: 176478
The pathogenicity of 47 strains of free-living amoebae belonging to the genera Vahlkampfia, Naegleria, Hartmannella and Acanthamoeba was studied in groups of mice inoculated intranasally with trophozoites. Only 5 strains, all belonging to A. polyphaga, and the reference pathogenic strain A. culbertsoni, induced a fatal meningoencephalitis; the remaining strains were not pathogenic. In vitro studies on the cytopathogenic effect of 12 Acanthamoeba strains (including the 6 pathogenic strains mentioned above and 6 non-pathogenic strains) showed that all were able to destroy the cell layer. At a constant inoculum size the pathogenic strains destroyed the cells more rapidly than the non-pathogenic strains.