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Contrasting Disease Progression, Microglia Reactivity, Tolerance, and Resistance to Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Two Mouse Strains

Authors :
Daniel G. Diniz
Jhonnathan H. P. de Oliveira
Luma C. F. Guerreiro
Gabriel C. de Menezes
Alexa C. L. de Assis
Tainá Q. Duarte
Izabelly B. D. dos Santos
Flávia D. Maciel
Gabrielly L. da S. Soares
Sanderson C. Araújo
Felipe T. de C. Franco
Ediclei L. do Carmo
Rafaela dos A. B. Morais
Camila M. de Lima
Dora Brites
Daniel C. Anthony
José A. P. Diniz
Cristovam W. P. Diniz
Source :
Biomedicines, Vol 12, Iss 7, p 1420 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Our study investigated the innate immune response to Toxoplasma gondii infection by assessing microglial phenotypic changes and sickness behavior as inflammatory response markers post-ocular tachyzoite instillation. Disease progression in Swiss albino mice was compared with the previously documented outcomes in BALB/c mice using an identical ocular route and parasite burden (2 × 105 tachyzoites), with saline as the control. Contrary to expectations, the Swiss albino mice displayed rapid, lethal disease progression, marked by pronounced sickness behaviors and mortality within 11–12 days post-infection, while the survivors exhibited no apparent signs of infection. Comparative analysis revealed the T. gondii-infected BALB/c mice exhibited reduced avoidance of feline odors, while the infected Swiss albino mice showed enhanced avoidance responses. There was an important increase in microglial cells in the dentate gyrus molecular layer of the infected Swiss albino mice compared to the BALB/c mice and their respective controls. Hierarchical cluster and discriminant analyses identified three microglial morphological clusters, differentially affected by T. gondii infection across strains. The BALB/c mice exhibited increased microglial branching and complexity, while the Swiss albino mice showed reduced shrunken microglial arbors, diminishing their morphological complexity. These findings highlight strain-specific differences in disease progression and inflammatory regulation, indicating lineage-specific mechanisms in inflammatory responses, tolerance, and resistance. Understanding these elements is critical in devising control measures for toxoplasmosis.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
12071420 and 22279059
Volume :
12
Issue :
7
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Biomedicines
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.f9723f9eb31f4c3f958a61359f49c3de
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12071420