| Abstract: | Sporocysts of Hepatozoon griseisciuri obtained from laboratory-reared spiny rat mites (Echinolaelaps echidninus) and laboratory-reared squirrel mites (Haemogamasus reidi) were made bacteria-free and incubated in trypsin-bile for 30 min at 37 C to release sporozoites. Hepatozoon griseisciuri sporozoites were inoculated into monolayer cultures of primary adult squirrel kidney (PSK) cells and cell line cultures of neonatal squirrel kidney (SK), heart (SH), and spleen (SS) cells. Extracellular sporozoites underwent flexing, gliding, and pivoting movements similar to other coccidian sporozoites. Sporozoites entered cells in all the cultures used and were found intracellularly as early as 1 hr and as late as 10 days after inoculation. In SK, SH, and SS cells, development proceeded only to the trophozoite stage. In PSK cells, immature schizonts and mature schizonts containing 12–40 merozoites were present from 5 through 10 days after inoculation. The finding of pairs of intracellular organisms within a single parasitophorous vacuole in PSK cells suggested that endodyogeny or limited schizogony had occurred. |
