Paired segments of near-term fetal rabbit small intestine were transpl
anted subcutaneously into athymic nude mice. At 5 weeks postsurgery, t
he xenografts were inoculated intraluminally with Cryptosporidium parv
um sporozoites. Parasites rapidly and reliably infected the xenograft
mucosal epithelium. Lesions typical of cryptosporidiosis were readily
apparent by light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron mi
croscopy. Xenografts are well suited to the study of the early events
of C. parvum infection and are of potential value in the evaluation of
anticryptosporidial chemotherapeutic agents.