Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY
Volume 98, Issue 4, Pages 191-202Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/iep.12236
Keywords
germ-free mice; gut inflammation; microbiota; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis
Categories
Funding
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq/Brazil) [458832/2014-6]
- Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG/Brazil) [PPM/2016]
- CNPq/Brazil
- PNPD/CAPES grant [2248/2011]
- CNPq Research Fellowship
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Toxoplasmosis represents one of the most common zoonoses worldwide. Its agent, Toxoplasma gondii, causes a severe innate pro-inflammatory response. The indigenous intestinal microbiota promotes host animal homoeostasis and may protect the host against pathogens. Germ-free (GF) animals provide an important tool for the study of interactions between host and microbiota. In this study, we assessed the role of indigenous microorganisms in disease development utilizing a murine toxoplasmosis model, which includes conventional (CV) and GF NIH Swiss mice. CV and GF mice orally inoculated with T.gondii had similar survival curves. However, disease developed differently in the two animal groups. In CV mice, intestinal permeability increased and levels of intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokines were altered. In GF animals, there were discrete epithelial degenerative changes and mucosal oedema, but the liver and lungs displayed significant lesions. We conclude that, despite similar survival curves, CV animals succumb to an exaggerated inflammatory response, whereas GF mice fail to produce an adequate systemic response.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available