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Encystation—survival of Blastocystis hominis in immunocompetent mice abdomen cavity

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Abstract

Human Blastocystis hominis were isolated from diarrhea patients’ feces and cultured in vitro. Then the cultures were inoculated intraperitoneally to laboratory mice. The B. hominis in living mice were collected and inoculated again to healthy mice. The B. hominis showed dose-dependent pathogenicity in the primary inoculation. No pathogenicity was observed in the secondary inoculation. The protozoan existed in the living mice abdomen cavity for more than 6 months and the cyst was the only form. These results showed that encystation enable the parasite to avoid the immune attack in competent host and simultaneously decrease the pathogenicity to host. Intraperitoneal inoculation to laboratory mice is a good method to maintain and propagate B. hominis. This is also a good model to study the interaction of B. hominis and immune system.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunology and Pathogenic Organism Biology Department of Medical School, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 76 Yanta West road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, 710061

    Xiao Bo Zhou, Xu Zhang, Ji Ying Qiao, Juan Cai & Shaoli Cheng

  2. Immunology and Pathogenic Organism Biology Department of Medical School, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 76 Yanta West road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, 710061

    Yukang Yuan

  3. The Third Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 256 Youyi West road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, 710061

    Jun Li

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  1. Xiao Bo Zhou
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  2. Xu Zhang
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  3. Ji Ying Qiao
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  4. Juan Cai
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  5. Shaoli Cheng
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Correspondence to Ji Ying Qiao.

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Zhou, X.B., Zhang, X., Qiao, J.Y. et al. Encystation—survival of Blastocystis hominis in immunocompetent mice abdomen cavity. Parasitol Res 106, 1315–1320 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1801-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1801-6

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