Qualitative x-ray spectrometric study of E. histolytica trophozoite nuclei.

Qualitative X-ray energy spectroscopical analysis was performed in two strains of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites: HK-9; NIH strain, and HM-2; IMSS strain, cultured in axenic and monoxenic conditions, respectively. The trophozoites were fixed in buffered-glutaraldehyde, embedded in Epon, thick sectioned )50-200 nm), and mounted on nickel grids. X-ray emissions were analyzed with an Ortec X-ray energy detector and multichannel and analyzer adapted to a transmission electron microscope. The study was concentrated on the refractive intranuclear bodies, characteristically numerous in axenically grown E. histolytica trophozoites. Nuclei of trophozoites with those intranuclear bodies contained phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium in greater amounts than nuclei not containing those structures. This was true for all axenically grown trophozoites and two monoxenically grown trophozoites which contained four intranuclear bodies. It is concluded that the composition of the refractive intranuclear bodies in E. histolytica trophozites does not appear to change with the culture conditions or with the composition of the culture media.