[Primary isolation of Trypanosoma cruzi using hemoculture: effect of media composition on epimastigote...

It was investigated the modifications of culture medium which facilitated the differentiation of blood tripomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi to epimastigotes and its further reproduction. Trypanosomas were obtained "in vitro" from country rodents with parasites, caught in Las Higueras Municipality, Río Cuarto Department. They were differentiated and developed faster in mediums poorer in nutrients (N.N.N. and Tobie) than in enriched ones, generally used to mantain epimastigotes in culture (LIT and Medium Base). Different mediums were tested: a) Novy and Mc Neal medium modified by Nicole (N.N.N.); b) N.N.N. medium modified by the addition of glucose (10 g/l); c) Tobie medium with different mediums as liquid phase; d) Tobie medium modified by the addition of glucose (10 g/l); e) Warren medium; f) Warren medium modified by the addition of glucose (10 g/l); g) LIT medium; h) Medium Base (M.B.); i) 16 mediums obtained from M.B. modified by changing only one of its components, either quantitative or quantitatively, so that the difference with the original one was in a sole component. All mediums were assayed with blood of albino BALB/c mice infected with T. cruzi: Tulahuén strain and two wild strains isolated from country mice. To observe the effect on results, certain working conditions were changed: a) cultivated tripomastigotes density; b) blood from different rabbits, to enrich the cultures; c) trademark of each component used in medium preparations; d) bleeding of infected mice in different days post injection; e) mediums in liquid state or diphasic. These technical modifications did not alter the results. Only glucose proved to influence the differentiation to epimastigote.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)