Acanthamoeba castellanii: in vitro UAH-T17c3 trophozoite growth study in different culture media

Acanthamoeba is one of the most common free-living amoebae. It is widespread in the environment and can infect humans, causing diseases such as keratitis and encephalitis. In this study, we used a strain of Acanthamoeba castellanii (UAH-T17c3) isolated from cooling towers, and we evaluated the efficiency of three different culture media in its growth, with the aim of selecting one which allowed better growth, was easier to prepare, and was able to keep the trophozoites by long periods of time. We compared the growth of A. castellanii in peptone-yeast extract-glucose (PYG, the most commonly used medium to grow this strain) to the growth in PYG-Bactocasitone (PYG with 2% Bactocasitone) and brain-heart infusion broth (BHI is a standard microbiological medium rarely used in the culture of amoebae). Flow cytometry and cell count results showed all three media allowed the growth of trophozoites. PYG-Bactocasitone was shown to be the best for long-term culture. The BHI and PYG-Bactocasitone media have not been used for Acanthamoeba spp. trophozoite growth. In view of the results, we can affirm that these media are adequate to grow the above-mentioned strain for in vitro screening assays.