IN-VITRO HATCHED ONCOSPHERES OF ASIAN TAENIA FROM KOREA AND TAIWAN DEVELOP INTO CYSTICERCI IN THE PERITONEAL-CAVITY OF FEMALE SCID (SEVERE COMBINED IMMUNODEFICIENCY) MICE

In vitro hatched (but not activated) oncospheres of Asian Taenia obtai ned in Korea and Taiwan, prepared by the sodium hypochlorite method, r insed with sterile PBS several times and adjusted to 5x10(4)/0.5 ml PB S, were injected intraperitoneally or subcutaneously into male or fema le scid mice of 3 different strains. When these scid mice were sacrifi ced 4 months later, the females harboured fully developed cysticerci e ither in the peritoneal cavity or under the back skin, whereas males d id not. All cysticerci from the peritoneal cavity were easily recovere d by rinsing the abdomen with PBS. Although most cysticerci recovered from pig liver usually become calcified within 1-2 months, in female s cid mice they all increased in size and mere viable. Intraperitoneal ( i.p.) injection of in vitro hatched oncospheres is recommended for eas ier recovery of Asian Taenia metacestodes in laboratory animals. (C) 1 997 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.