Cystoisospora canis (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae): Development of monozoic tissue cysts in human cells, demonstration of egress of zoites from tissue cysts, and demonstration of repeat monozoic tissue cyst formation by zoites

Sporozoites of Cystoisospora canis penetrated and developed to monozoic tissue cysts in 4 human, 1 monkey, 1 bovine and 2 canine cell lines. No asexual division was documented although multiple infection of a single cell was observed. Examination of cultures using transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that they were monozoic tissue cysts and contained a single sporozoite. The appearance of monozoic tissue cysts in all cell lines was similar but the parasitophorous vacuole surrounding some sporozoites in DH82 dog macrophages was swollen. Monozoic tissue cysts were observed for up to 127 days in human pigmented retinal epithelial cells. Treatment of cell cultures containing monozoic tissue cysts with 0.75 sodium taurocholic acid and 0.25% trypsin stimulated egress of zoites (former sporozoites) from tissue cysts. Zoites collected from monozoic tissue cysts were able to penetrate and develop to monozoic tissue cysts in new host cells. Monozoic tissue cysts survived exposure to acid pepsin solution indicating that they would be orally infectious. The tissue cyst wall surrounding zoites did not autofluoresce as did oocyst and sporocyst walls exposed to UV light. We believe that C. canis can be used as a model system to study extra-intestinal monozoic tissue cysts stages of Cystoisospora belli of humans.