Leishmania donovani: in vitro culture and [1H] NMR characterization of amastigote-like forms.

When Leishmania donovani promastigote forms, were cultured in TC-199 medium at 28 degrees C and subsequently incubated at 38 degrees C, they turned into aflagellate (amastigote-like) forms. A return of the incubation-culture temperature to 28 degrees C these amastigote-like forms to revert to promastigotes. The amastigotes obtained by heat-shock, were viable and retained antigenic capacity being recognized by the sera of naturally infected patients. These forms, remained also capable of multiplying inside the J-774A.1 macrophages. When the amastigote-like forms are kept in culture at 38 degrees C retained their rounded appearance and their biological characteristics for more than 3 months subculturing every 6 days. These amastigote-like forms, when used for subcultures at 28 degrees C, transformed into promastigotes capable of multiplying as flagellate forms. The amastigote-like forms obtained in vitro can be used in biochemical studies related to chemotherapy and immunology studies, as part of an effort to combat this parasite. The end-products of of glycolysis were studied in both the amastigote-like and promastigote forms of L. donovani, by proton magnetic resonance analysis of the culture media. Alanine, succinate, and acetate, were predominant, and to a lesser extent pyruvate, glycine and D-lactate. Our results suggest that both forms of Leishmania use different biochemical strategies to obtain their energy.