Assessment of the in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum using fluorometry.

The growth of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro was quantitatively assessed by applying fluorometry using ethidium bromide. The fluorescence intensity of parasites stained with this dye was found to parallel the uptake of 3H-hypoxanthine into nucleic acids during one growth cycle of development. The assay system can be used as a substitute of morphological and radiometric methods in drug-sensitivity tests and for the screening of antimalarials.