Growth curves of Leishmania braziliensis braziliensis promastigotes and surface antigen expression before and after adaptation to Schneider's Drosophila medium as assessed by anti-Leishmania human sera.

Leishmania braziliensis braziliensisíMHOMlBR1751M2903) was grown in Schneider's Drosophila medium. In one set of experiments promastigotes were already adapted to the medium by means of seria1 passages whereas in the second cells were grown in a biphasic medium and transfered to the liquid. Growth was more abundant for culture medium-adapted cells; degenerate cells in small numbers as well as dead ones were present from day 5 for promastigotes adapted to liquid medium and from day 3 for newly adapted cells. Synthesis of surface antigens differed according to length of cell culture as assess ed by the titer of five mucocutaneous leishmaniasis sera on subsequent days. Five days of culture for cells already adapted to the culture medium and 3 days for newly adapted ones were judged to be the best for the preparation of immunofluorescence antigens.