Augmented production of gamma interferon in mice experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii

The gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production and the cell populations participating to this production were examined in Toxoplasma-infected mice. When spleen cells from Toxoplasma-infected mice were cultured with Concanavalin A (Con A) or OK-432, a Streptococcal preparation, they produced significantly high levels of IFN-gamma as compared with that of noninfected mice. Such enhanced IFN titers were observed as early as at 5 days postinfection, reached at the maximum levels on 20 days around and declined gradually thereafter. Treatment of spleen cells from the infected mice with either monoclonal anti-Thy-1.2 antibody plus complement or macrophage-blocking agents virtually abolished the IFN production. The spleen cells producing IFN-gamma were more susceptible to the treatment with monoclonal anti-Lyt-1.2 than anti-Lyt-2.2 antibodies, suggesting that CD4+ T cells are main producers of this lymphokine. When mice infected with Toxoplasma 10 days previously were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a well-known inducer of IFN-alpha/beta, the sequential production of IFN-alpha/beta and IFN-gamma was induced in their circulation.     

弓形虫感染鼠脾细胞microRNA表达谱的检测分析

MicroRNA（miRNA）是一类约22个核苷酸组成的单链非编码RNA,在分化、发育、肿瘤形成等方面起着重要作用。本研究对弓形虫RH株感染小鼠脾细胞miRNA的表达进行了特异性基因芯片检测分析,并应用荧光定量RT-PCR方法进行验证。结果表明,感染鼠脾细胞中与免疫应答及细胞增殖和肿瘤发生相关的三大类miRNA中,有39种表达下调,同时有36种表达上调。上述结果揭示,弓形虫感染机体后伴随着靶细胞功能性miRNA表达谱的显著改变,这为进一步研究弓形虫感染致病的分子机制开辟了新的方向。     

Antibody response in goats experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Serum samples of five goats inoculated with Toxoplasma gondii were analyzed using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), indirect hemagglutination (IHA) and western blotting (WB). Antibodies detected by ELISA peaked between 19 and 62 days after inoculation and persisted throughout the experiment with no association to parasitaemia. Using WB, the main antigens detected had molecular weights of approximately 68, 62, 50, 48, 42, 34, 28, 26, 22 and 19 kDa. Antibody titers of between 1:256 and 1:32000 were observed using IHA, with a significant drop in activity after treatment with 2-mercapto-ethanol between days 12 and 48. This coincided with the parasitaemic period that occurs between 5 and 64 days after inoculation.     

Effects of cyclosporin A on susceptibility and interferon-generating capacity in mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii

Cyclosporin A (Cs-A), a potent immunosuppressant, was administered to mice to evaluate the role of T lymphocytes for the development of a protective immunity to an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Although daily administration of various amounts of Cs-A for 7 days enhanced the host susceptibility at all doses employed, a dose-dependent manner of Cs-A treatment was not observed as far as the dosage regimens applied here are concerned; mice died at the same rate (40%) among the groups receiving various amounts of Cs-A. Cs-A treatment had a differential effect on the course of disease depending on how it was given in relation to infection. All mice receiving 50 mg of Cs-A per kg per day for 10 days from the beginning of infection eventually died of toxoplasmosis. Cs-A did not suppress the production of intereferon(IFN)-alpha/beta that was induced shortly after the infection, whereas it reduced greatly the ability of Toxoplasma-infected mice to produce IFN-gamma induced by stimulation with Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA). Moreover, the decrease in IFN-gamma production correlated with an increase in the parasitic growth in the peritoneal cavities of Cs-A-treated mice. These results suggest that the immunosuppressive effect of Cs-A on the primary Toxoplasma infection in mice is expressed by inhibiting the development of effector T cells responsible for the production of IFN-gamma.     

4种中药治疗急性弓形虫感染小鼠的疗效观察

弓形虫病是一种常见的人畜共患原虫病,在人畜和野生动物之间广泛传播,给人畜健康和畜牧业发展带来了严重的危害.近年来,由于弓形虫病的几次暴发流行,弓形虫病的治疗问题越来越引起人们的重视.     

桦褐孔菌多糖对感染弓形虫小鼠治疗作用及其对血清中细胞因子含量的影响

建立小鼠弓形虫病模型后,将小鼠随机分成6组,统计小鼠存活率及时间,再应用ELISA检测血清中IFN-γ、IL-2等细胞因子水平,以检测桦褐孔菌多糖对感染弓形虫小鼠的治疗效果及对小鼠血清中IFN-γ、IL-2细胞因子水平的影响。结果表明,桦褐孔菌多糖中剂量组小鼠存活率最高;桦褐孔菌多糖的高、中剂量组IFN-γ水平极显著高于其他各组(P<0.01),高剂量组IL-2水平与其他各组比较差异极显著(P<0.01);除感染组外,其余各组IFN-γ、IL-2均在第6天出现峰值。说明桦褐孔菌多糖中剂量治疗弓形虫感染小鼠效果最好,并且中剂量可使小鼠血清中IFN-γ、IL-2值升高到适当水平,有效改善弓形虫感染对小鼠的伤害。     

Toxoplasma gondii cysts in placentas of experimentally infected sheep

To determine the presence of tissue cysts in ovine placentas, 6 ewes were inoculated orally with 10,000 Toxoplasma gondii oocysts at 60 days of gestation. The ewes were euthanatized and necropsied 21, 52, 56, 57, 57, and 62 days after T gondii inoculation, and placental cotyledons from each ewe were collected and homogenized. To distinguish between the presence of tachyzoites that are killed by acid pepsin solution and bradyzoites (from cysts) unaffected by this solution, a portion of each homogenate was inoculated into mice and another portion was inoculated into mice after digestion in acid pepsin solution. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated in 26 of 34 (76.4%) of mice inoculated with nondigested placentas of all 6 ewes and in 16 of 34 (47%) mice inoculated with digested placenta of 5 of 6 ewes. Seemingly, cysts do occur in placental tissue, but the digestion method was inferior, compared with the nondigestion method for recovery of T gondii from placenta.     

桦褐孔菌多糖对弓形虫感染孕鼠生殖器官及其胎鼠发育的影响

为探讨桦褐孔菌多糖对弓形虫感染孕鼠生殖器官及其胎鼠发育的影响,采用弓形虫RH株感染雌性性成熟小鼠,以蒿甲醚为阳性对照组,桦褐孔菌多糖为试验组,并设立阴性组和模型组.观察孕鼠胎儿的死胎散、体重、体长等发育指标,同时记录剖检前各组孕鼠死亡数和受孕数,并对孕鼠的生殖器官进行病理组织观察.经统计分析,桦褐孔菌多糖组与模型组在孕鼠死亡率和受孕率方面差异极显著(P＜0.01);在死胎率、活胎鼠平均体重、活胎鼠平均体长方面差异也极显著(P＜0.01);而两药物组仅在受孕率方面显著差异(P＜0.05),其孕鼠生殖器官的病理组织仅呈轻微的炎症变化.表明桦褐孔菌多糖对弓形虫感染孕鼠的胎鼠发育具有保护作用;并可明显缓解弓形虫感染对孕鼠生殖机能的损害.     

Myelitis in a cat infected with Toxoplasma gondii and feline immunodeficiency virus

Severe necrotizing myelitis secondary to localization and reactivation of Toxoplasma gondii within the spinal cord of a domestic shorthair cat was diagnosed by use of light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The cat also was infected with feline immunodeficiency virus. This case may have useful comparative features to T gondii infections in human patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.     

弓形虫慢性感染小鼠脑组织差异表达蛋白质组学

通过比较弓形虫慢性感染小鼠与健康小鼠的脑组织,筛选差异表达的鼠脑蛋白质,以期从蛋白质组学角度挖掘其导致中枢神经系统(central nervous system,CNS)损伤的机制,并为寻找生物标志物提供靶标。建立弓形虫PRU株慢性感染小鼠模型,运用iTRAQ技术,结合LC-MS/MS分析差异表达蛋白质,并采用荧光定量PCR和Western blot验证iTRAQ数据。结果共鉴定出4 983个蛋白,差异表达蛋白461个,其中215个蛋白上调表达,246个蛋白下调表达,差异蛋白主要涉及代谢和神经过程等通路。结果表明,iTRAQ结合LCMS/MS技术能快速有效地进行蛋白质组学研究,为研究弓形虫慢性感染致宿主CNS损伤机制以及发现新的生物标志物提供参考。     

Effect of feeding lasalocid to pregnant ewes experimentally infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

Sixteen 50 day gestational ewes were fed lasalocid at the rate of 30 g t-1 and were orally inoculated with 100 infective Toxoplasma gondii oocysts 5 days after beginning feeding of lasalocid. Seventeen control ewes were similarly inoculated with T. gondii and were not fed lasalocid. The rate of abortion and neonatal mortality in both treated and untreated ewes was similar, indicating that feeding lasalocid was not effective in preventing T. gondii abortion in sheep.     

Macrophage functions in cats experimentally infected with feline immunodeficiency virus and Toxoplasma gondii.

It was suspected that feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection would affect the function of feline macrophages, and that the concomitant infection of cats with FIV and Toxoplasma gondii would cause even greater changes in macrophage function. Sixteen specific-pathogen-free kittens, four per group, were infected either with FIV, T. gondii, both pathogens, or neither pathogen. After the cats had been infected with FIV for 14 weeks (8 weeks after T. gondii infection), peritoneal macrophages were collected. Some macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide and supernatants were collected for the measurement of interleukin-1 production. Other macrophages were infected with T. gondii in a microbiocidal assay. Peritoneal macrophages from cats infected with FIV had decreased interleukin-1 secretion and increased antimicrobial activity. Co-infection with T. gondii apparently had no effect on these modifications of macrophage activity. Thus, acute FIV infection alone caused significant changes in macrophage functions that were not affected by concomitant T. gondii infection.     

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in the milk of experimentally infected lactating cats.

Tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii have been found in the milk of sheep, goats, cows and mice and infection by ingestion of raw goat milk has been documented in humans. Lactational transmission from infected cats to their kittens is suspected but the organism has not been detected in the milk. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the presence of T. gondii in the milk of experimentally infected cats. Pregnant specific pathogen free cats were inoculated orally with T. gondii at various times prior to parturition. Feces were examined for oocyst shedding after sugar solution centrifugation. Milk was collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bioassay in mice. T. gondii was detected in the milk of five of six cats by either bioassay or PCR.     

Antibody responses to Toxoplasma gondii antigens in aqueous and cerebrospinal fluids of cats infected with T. gondii and FIV.

Antibodies to antigens of Toxoplasma gondii were measured in the aqueous and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 16 specific-pathogen free kittens experimentally infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), T. gondii, or both pathogens. The results indicated that all cats infected with T. gondii had antibody responses to antigens of T. gondii in both aqueous fluids and CSF. Co-infection with FIV did not affect antibody levels. Aqueous fluids from eyes of cats with toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis did not necessarily have higher antibody levels than those from eyes without lesions. Antibodies to T. gondii were also detected in the CSF of two cats from whose brains no parasites were isolated by in vivo mouse inoculation. Total IgG did not increase significantly in the aqueous fluids and CSF of cats infected with T. gondii whether or not they were also infected with FIV.