Use of in vitro assays to determine effects of human serum on biological characteristics of Acanthamoeba castellanii

Normal human serum inhibits Acanthamoeba (encephalitis isolate) binding to and cytotoxicity of human brain microvascular endothelial cells, which constitute the blood-brain barrier. Zymographic assays revealed that serum inhibits extracellular protease activities of acanthamoebae. But it is most likely that inhibition of specific properties of acanthamoebae is a consequence of the initial amoebicidal-amoebistatic effects induced by serum. For example, serum exhibited amoebicidal effects; i.e., up to 50% of the exposed trophozoites were killed. The residual subpopulation, although viable, remained static over longer incubations. Interestingly, serum enhanced the phagocytic ability of acanthamoebae, as measured by bacterial uptake. Overall, our results demonstrate that human serum has inhibitory effects on Acanthamoeba growth and viability, protease secretions, and binding to and subsequent cytotoxicity for brain microvascular endothelial cells. Conversely, Acanthamoeba phagocytosis was stimulated by serum.