Experimental muscular amebiasis in hamsters as a biological model.

Trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica maintained in vitro in Pavlova's medium were inoculated by deep intramuscular injection into the proximal left hindleg of hamsters. Thioglycollate medium was utilized as a successful vehicle to induce the infection. The invasion of the muscular tissue by the vegetative forms caused the formation of abscesses with great destruction of muscular fibers. The lesions were limited to the muscular tissue of the femoral area. The number of trophozoites, the medium of thioglycollate as a vehicle, the volume of the inoculum and the trauma caused by the needle were important elements in the evolution of the muscular amebic abscesses. A limited trial of the amebicidal activity of metronidazole utilizing the amebic intramuscular infection was also performed.