Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences

Immunological assay and histopathological study of Toxoplasma gondii in Experimental male rats

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Sfax, Tunisia.

2 Department of Basic medical science, College of Nursing, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Iraq.

3 Department of Immunology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, University of Sfax, Tunisia.

4 Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Kerbala, Iraq.

5 Fungi and Parasitic Laboratory, Drosophila research unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sfax, Tunisia.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular entity that can infect nearly all cells of vertebrates with a mild blood temperature. The main objective of the study is to investigate the host immune aspects in Toxoplasma gondii-infected experimental animals by monitoring some cytokines production profiles and analyzing immune cell phenotypes. Therefore, the toxoplasma cysts were extracted and injected into 40 male rats compared to 10 rats as a control group. Then, leukocytes from peripheral blood were stained with anti-surface antigens antibodies and analyzed using flow cytometry. Pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines levels were evaluated 12 and 30 days after infection using a quantitative ELISA assay. Rats infected with Toxoplasma in placental suspension had significantly higher levels of IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-10, and IL-6 than control rats. Infected rats also had higher levels of CD14+ and CD19+ leukocytes. A difference between the stages tachyzoite and bradyzoite was also observed. Histopathology of T. gondii-infected rat tissues confirmed bradyzoite stage in liver, testis, brain, and kidney, further studies are needed to unravel the mechanisms behind stage switching. In conclusion: There are significant differences in the concentrations of cytokines associated with some cellular and humoral immune cells of rats infected experimentally with toxoplasmosis.

Keywords

References
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Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences
Volume 22, Issue 2
September 2023
Pages 25-35
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