Characterization of a Trypanosoma rangeli strain of Colombian origin

ABSTRACT

A Colombian strain of Trypanosoma rangeli was characterized by analyzing its behaviour in different axenic and cellular culture, its infection rate and the histopathological lesions produced in experimental animals. Although slight inflammatory infiltrations were shown in different histopathological sections, no pseudocysts could be observed. Grace's insect medium is better than liver infusion tryptose or artificial triatomine urine supplemented with proline when studying T. rangeli metacyclogenesis, with a peak of 32 per cent trypomastigotes. High infection rates were found in VERO and J774 cells. Because of its 100 per cent infectivity rates and adequacy of parasitemia levels, C23 strain is a suitable model of T. rangeli biology study.