BIROn - Birkbeck Institutional Research Online

    Use of In vitro assays to determine effects of human serum on biological characteristics of acanthamoeba castellanii

    Sissons, J. and Alsam, S. and Stins, M. and Rivas, A.O. and Morales, J.L. and Faull, Jane and Khan, N.A. (2006) Use of In vitro assays to determine effects of human serum on biological characteristics of acanthamoeba castellanii. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 44 , pp. 2595-2600. ISSN 0095-1137.

    Full text not available from this repository.

    Abstract

    Normal human serum inhibits Acanthamoeba (encephalitis isolate) binding to and cytotoxicity of human brain microvascular endothelial cells, which constitute the blood-brain barrier. Zymographic assays revealed that serum inhibits extracellular protease activities of acanthamoebae. But it is most likely that inhibition of specific properties of acanthamoebae is a consequence of the initial amoebicidal-amoebistatic effects induced by serum. For example, serum exhibited amoebicidal effects; i.e., up to 50% of the exposed trophozoites were killed. The residual subpopulation, although viable, remained static over longer incubations. Interestingly, serum enhanced the phagocytic ability of acanthamoebae, as measured by bacterial uptake. Overall, our results demonstrate that human serum has inhibitory effects on Acanthamoeba growth and viability, protease secretions, and binding to and subsequent cytotoxicity for brain microvascular endothelial cells. Conversely, Acanthamoeba phagocytosis was stimulated by serum.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Natural Sciences
    Depositing User: Sarah Hall
    Date Deposited: 13 May 2019 10:08
    Last Modified: 02 Aug 2023 17:51
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/27471

    Statistics

    Activity Overview
    6 month trend
    0Downloads
    6 month trend
    234Hits

    Additional statistics are available via IRStats2.

    Archive Staff Only (login required)

    Edit/View Item Edit/View Item