陰道鞭毛蟲 (T. vaginalis) 是泌尿生殖道的病原菌，它的感染會導致陰道鞭毛蟲症 (trichomoniasis)。陰道鞭毛蟲症是最常見的非病毒的性接觸傳染疾病，一般感染無臨床症狀或是騷癢、異常分泌物等的症狀，近來有文獻指出，陰道鞭毛蟲感染會增加子宮頸癌的發生率。本研究目的是想從形態學上觀察陰道鞭毛蟲是否會造成子宮頸上皮細胞的病變，從前人的實驗中觀察到陰道鞭毛蟲和宿主細胞陰道表皮細胞共同培養時，陰道鞭毛蟲會黏附在陰道表皮細胞上，以接觸性細胞毒殺作用導致細胞死亡，片狀脫落，在本實驗中觀察子宮頸上皮細胞（Z172細胞）是否也會產生相同的情形。在陰道鞭毛蟲和子宮頸癌上皮細胞經過多次馴化至兩者可以存在於相同環境DMEM/YIS (2：1) 培養液後，從陰道鞭毛蟲的生長曲線看來，使用YIS當培養液，鐵的來源由檸檬酸鐵換到血紅素後，再換到DMEM/YIS (2：1) 的條件下，陰道鞭毛蟲生長得更好。而Z172細胞從DMEM培養液換到DMEM/YIS (2：1)，仍然可以生長。最後將陰道鞭毛蟲和Z172細胞兩者共同培養，隨著時間的增加，Z172細胞被陰道鞭毛蟲攻擊後從開始內縮，細胞變圓，最後會整片脫落。同時從觀察中可以發現，陰道鞭毛蟲會攻擊單顆的Z172細胞、一群細胞的周圍，甚至疊在Z172細胞上，或是深入細胞間隙中，同時也使Z172細胞間隙變大。就陰道鞭毛蟲和Z172細胞的接觸情形來看，在不同的時間點，都有程度不等的細胞融合狀況。陰道鞭毛蟲對Z172細胞的黏附率因共同培養的時間增長，黏附率也變高，在第12小時達到頂點。一顆Z172細胞可以黏附的陰道鞭毛蟲有從一顆到四顆之多。從以上結果可知，陰道鞭毛蟲使Z172細胞產生細胞病變可能是透過接觸性毒殺作用，至於陰道鞭毛蟲是如何導致子宮頸癌的發生，詳細的機制仍需做進一步的研究與探討。

Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan parasite of the urogenital -vaginal tract, is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) in human. In male, the trichomoniais is usually asymptomatic, although it may cause irritating urethritis or prostatitis. In female, trichominiasis is associated with a wide spectrum of clinical signs ranging from a relatively asymptomatic state to severe vaginitis with a foul-smelling vaginal discharge. T. vaginalis may act as a potential catalyst in the acquisition of secondary infection such as that caused by human papillomavirus, the organism responsible for the pathogenesis of cervical cancer. The adherent clump of this protozoan will destruct the epithelial cell and induce pathogenesis by contact-dependent cytotoxicty. A co-culture system of T. vaginalis and human cervical epithelium cancer cell line (Z172 cell) has been established in this study. Both of the protozoan and host cell grow well in the same culture condition and atmosphere. When Z172 cell exposure under T. vaginalis attack, the morphology of the host cells become round shape, shrinkage, detach, and part of the cells are died. The single Z172 cell is easier attacked by T. vaginalis then colonial cells. The more co-culture time and the more adhesion rate were observed in this study. After 12 hours’ co-culture, the adhesion between protozoan and cell become the most significantly than other time points observation. Does the pathological changes of the Z172 cell are derived by the physical or chemical after the adhesion of T. vaginalis are needed to more studies in the future.

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