In vitro cultivation of southern African strains of Plasmodium falciparum and gametocytogenesis.

Sixteen southern African isolates of Plasmodium falciparum were successfully established and maintained in gassed tissue culture flasks which were either held in a static position or shaken. Shaken cultures yielded 48-hour growth rates ranging from 3.9-fold to 9.5-fold and peak parasitaemias ranging from 9% to 27%. Growth rates in static flasks were lower, ranging from 1.8-fold to 4.2-fold every 48 hours with peak parasitaemias ranging from 4% to 12%. Four of the established isolates were treated so as to promote gametocytogenesis and the rate of gametocyte production was found to be high. The mean percentage gametocytes by day 20-25 was 4.2% of erythrocytes, which represented approximately 50% of total parasites.