EFFECT OF SURFACE ACTIVE AGENTS ON ENDOSPORULATION OF COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS IN A CHEMICALLY DEFINED MEDIUM

Abstract

Tamol "N", an anionic surface active agent (sodium salt of a condensed aryl sulfonic acid; Rohm and Haas Co.), stimulated growth of C. immitis in a chemically defined medium at 0.05 to 1% levels and increased spherulation to 98% at 0.005 to 1% levels. Its action on the spherule walls resulted in rupture of 90 to 95% of the spherules, with subsequent dispersion of free endospores into uniparticulate suspensions averaging 1 to 7 x 107 per ml. The parasitic or in vivo reproductive cycle (endospore [forward arrow] spherule [forward arrow] endospore) was maintained through 3 serial transfers (at 72 hour intervals) by inoculating these endospores into chemically defined medium containing 0.05 or 0.1% Tamol "N.".