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The effect of immune sera on the respiration of Trypanosoma brucei in vitro

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

June P. Thurston
Affiliation:
Molteno Institute, University of Cambridge*

Extract

1. Blood-stream forms of Trypanosoma brucei ‘O’ strain from infected rats were separated from the blood by differential centrifugation. After washing, the trypanosomes were suspended in modified Ringer-phosphate solution with 0·2m glucose, and normal or immune rabbit serum was added. The oxygen uptake of such trypanosome suspensions was measured at 37° C. for 2 hr. with differential manometers using microflasks of 5 ml. capacity.

2. Immune sera that affected the motility of the trypanosomes also caused a decrease in oxygen uptake.

3. Some trypanosomes appeared to be unaffected by the less active concentrations of immune sera, while other trypanosomes in the same suspension were clumped together or lysed.

4. The most active serum inhibited oxygen uptake less at the highest concentration tested (1/4·5) than at lower concentrations (1/9 and 1/20).

5. This technique was less sensitive than Soltys's method (1957) for demonstrating neutralizing antibodies in the same sera.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1958

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References

Desowitz, R. S. (1956). Effect of antibody on the respiratory rate of Trypanosoma vivax. Nature, Lond., 177, 132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Soltys, M. A. (1957). Immunity in trypanosomiasis. I. Neutralization reaction. Parasitology, 47, 375.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thurston, J. P. (1958 a). The respiration of Trypanosoma lewisi and Trypanosoma equiperdum with especial reference to oxygen uptake in the presence of amino-acids. Parasitology, 48, 149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thurston, J. P. (1958 b). The effect of some metabolic inhibitors on the oxygen uptake of Trypanosoma lewisi and Trypanosoma equiperdum. Parasitology, 48, 165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar