Eimeria tenella: growth and drug sensitivity in tissue culture under reduced oxygen.

For Plasmodium falciparum in culture, growth is enhanced as oxygen tension is lowered and drug susceptibility, particularly susceptibility to 70S ribosomal and mitochondrial inhibitors, changes. Whether similar effects occur in Eimeria tenella was tested as a possible explanation for why certain 70S ribosomal inhibitors, while active in Eimeria-infected birds, are virtually inactive in vitro under ambient oxygen conditions. It was reasoned that perhaps these agents would exhibit good in vitro potency under reduced oxygen conditions. Such proved not to be the case, and it was further found that no positive effect on Eimeria growth occurred under these conditions. Finally, lowering oxygen tension had no substantial effects on sensitivity to anticoccidials or mitochondrial inhibitors.