Abstracto
- The clonal heterogeneity properties of a Central American (San Salvador) strain of T. cruzi was evaluated using a macrophage culture system. Four clones named Clon 9, Clon 10, Clon 11 and Clon 12 were obtained by culture in a semisolid agar medium from the wild T. cruzi strain. Each clone and the parental strain were sub-cultured in Schneider medium with 10% fetal bovine serum before the infection process. The macrophages were cultured on cover slides and infected with epimastigotes of each clone and the parental strain. The infection rate of the cells showed significant statistical differences (p < 0.05), but the parasite burden of the infected cells in each system was similar. The kinetics of the parasite multiplication had a growing pattern that was much higher at 96 hrs after infection in one of the clones (p < 0.05). The results prove that the interactions between parasite forms and target cells can differ in clones and the parental strain, and that the intracellular growing properties of T. cruzi in the individual clones can be different.