[Effects of hydrostatic pressure per se and of inert gases on a Limax-type free-living amoeba: Acanthamoeba culbertsoni].

The authors investigated the high hydrostatic and gas (nitrogen and helium) pressure effects on the morphology, missing encysting process and mortality rate of Acanthamoeba culbertsoni trophozoïtes. These studies have been performed by the means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been possible to show that the modulus of dissolving of both gas in water and oil is insufficient to explain the very important volumetric changes. Thereafter it appears that there is clathrate compounds formation.