ABSTRACT
Nuclepore polycarbonate membrane filtration was applied for the purification of tacky-zoites in the peritoneal exudate and the saline peritoneal washing from infected mice with Toxoplasma gondii RH strain or Beverley strain. The recovery rate of tackyzoites by this method was 65. 8% and the purity of the protozoa in the filtrated suspension was as high as 98. 87%, while the protozoa in 98. 4% of the host leucocytes and 85. 2% of host erythrocytes were elimina ted respectively. The ratio of host cells to the protozoa in filtrated suspension was both lower than 1 : 100. Stain of tackyzoites with fluorescent dyes showed that more than 99% of the protozoa were alive after filtration and the re-infection of mice with the purified tackyzoites suggested that the viability, toxicity and infectivity of the tackyzoites were not affected apparently. This method was shown to be a harmless, highly efficiency, time-saving, simple, and ease method for the purification of T. gondii tackyzoites.