Toxoplasmosis Prevention and Testing in Pregnancy,Survey of Obstetrician–Gynaecologists

Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women can lead to congenital disease with severe neurological and ocular complications in the foetus. In 2006, we surveyed US obstetrician–gynaecologists to determine their knowledge and practices about toxoplasmosis prevention and testing. Questionnaires were mailed (four mailings) to a random sample of 1200 of the 33 354 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Of the 1200 surveyed, 502 (42%) responded. The respondents were similar to all ACOG members by gender, region of the country and practice type (P > 0.5), and age (respondents were slightly younger, mean 46 years versus 47 years). To prevent toxoplasmosis, most respondents indicated that they counsel pregnant women about cat litter (99.6%), but fewer counselled about eating undercooked meat (77.6%), handling raw meat (67.4%), gardening (65.4%) or washing fruits and vegetables (34.2%). Many (73.2%) respondents were not aware that some Toxoplasma IgM tests have had a high false positive rate, and most (91.2%) had not heard of the avidity test, which can help determine the timing of Toxoplasma gondii infection in relation to pregnancy. There is a need for more education about T. gondii serological testing, particularly the Toxoplasma avidity test. US obstetrician–gynaecologists are providing beneficial counselling to their patients, but could provide more information about undercooked meat and soil risks.     

Construction and expression of the eukaryotic expressed plasmid of MIC3 gene from Toxoplasma gondii in IBRS-2 cells

The sequence encoding MIC3 was obtained by amplification from genomic DNA of Toxoplasma gondii RH strain and cloned into the vector pMD18-T. The target gene was subcloned into the eukaryotic vector pcDNA3.1 after the identification of pMD18-T-MIC3 by enzyme digesting, PCR amplification and sequencing. Then the target recombinant plasmids pcMIC3 were transfected into IBRS-2 cells, and the positive cells containing pcMIC3 plasmids were obtained under the selection of G418. The expressed proteins from the positive cells were detected by SDS-PAGE, Western blot and ELISA. The results showed that the DNA sequence identity was 99.9% between amplified MIC3 and that from GenBank. The molecular weight of the recombinant MIC3 protein with good immuno-activity was about 39.2 ku. These available data would lay the foundation for further studies on DNA vaccine against Toxoplasma gondii. __________ Translated from Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica, 2007, 38(8): 827–831 [译自: 畜牧兽医学报]     

Prevalence of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibody in Wild Boar,Sus scrofa riukiuanus,on Iriomote Island,Japan

Veterinary Research Communications -     

免疫学技术在弓形虫检测方面的研究概况

弓形虫病是世界分布最广泛的一种人兽共患病,此病在温暖潮湿的地区感染率极高,所以建立高效敏感的检测方法是非常必要的。目前,国内检测弓形虫病的技术有多种,其中以免疫学技术为主。虽然病原学检测方法的敏感性高,特异性强,但其成本高,对人体会产生严重的副作用,所以并不适宜推广。近年来,通过对弓形虫表面抗原的大量研究,检测弓形虫病的免疫学技术也有了显著提高。从敏感性差、操作复杂到现在的特异性强、快速简便,从单一抗原的检测到现在的多表面抗原的检测,无疑为检测弓形虫带来了新的思路。论文主要对检测弓形虫的ELISA、改良凝集试验以及化学发光免疫分析的最新进展进行了综述。     

弓形虫ITS及5.8S序列的PCR扩增、克隆及分析

通过对国内来源于不同宿主的ZS人株、SH人株、CN猪株、QH绵羊株4个弓形虫虫株，以及国际标准强毒株RH株的核糖体DNA内转录间隔区(ITS)及5．8SDNA序列进行PCR扩增、克隆、测序和序列分析，旨在对国内不同宿主间弓形虫虫株的遗传变异情况进行分析和验证。为分子遗传学和分子诊断学研究提供资料。结果显示：QH绵羊株、ZS人株、SH人株、CN猪株的ITS及5．8S序列完全一致。且与GenBank上注册RH株的ITS及5．8S序列也一致；仅实验室传代保存的RH株的ITS2序列与其它4株的ITS2有2个碱基的差异。结果表明ITS可作为分子标记用于弓形虫与其它原虫的种间鉴定。但不适合用于弓形虫种内遗传变异的研究。     

桧烯抗弓形虫活性的体外评价

本研究旨在筛选具有抗弓形虫活性的萜类化合物,并进行体外活性评价。对26个萜类化合物进行体外抗弓形虫增殖作用的筛选,采用CCK-8法确定活性化合物对Vero细胞的毒性和安全浓度,Giemsa染色进一步确定对弓形虫的活性,通过细胞免疫荧光、Giemsa染色和生物化学发光法评价活性化合物对弓形虫的体外活性。结果表明,26个萜类化合物中,桧烯对弓形虫有显著的活性,桧烯对RH-2F的IC₅₀为90.76 μg·mL^-1,Giemsa染色和细胞免疫荧光的结果表明,桧烯对细胞内的两种弓形虫虫株都有显著的抗增殖作用,并且对弓形虫的入侵有极显著的抑制作用（P<0.001）。综上表明,桧烯对弓形虫的入侵和细胞内增殖具有显著的抑制作用,可作为潜在的抗弓形虫先导化合物。     

磺胺氯吡嗪处理弓形虫速殖子抑制消减文库的构建和初步分析

为了研究和探索磺胺氯吡嗪抗弓形虫的作用机理,构建磺胺氯吡嗪处理弓形虫的抑制性消减文库.将刚地弓形虫(Toxoplasma gondii)RH株速殖子腹腔注射(10000个/只鼠)感染昆明系小鼠,大量收集并纯化速殖子.用250 mg/mL磺胺氯吡嗪PBS溶液和PBS分别浸泡速殖子,37℃恒温箱孵育2h,分别提取虫体的总RNA和mRNA,以PBS处理的正常虫体cDNA为驱动组,以药物处理虫体cDNA为实验组,构建药物处理前后弓形虫速殖子的抑制性消减文库,对部分阳性克隆进行测序和序列分析.结果显示,提取的虫体总RNA纯度高,合成的双链cDNA经RsaⅠ酶切反应较完全;从消减文库中随机选择100个阳性克隆进行PCR扩增,其插入片段长度在200～750 bp之间,文库的重组率达93％以上;随机挑取30个阳性克隆进行测序,获得11个单一序列,Blast分析显示有7个单一有效EST序列与已知蛋白质相似性较高.结果表明,已成功构建磺胺氯吡嗪处理弓形虫速殖子的抑制性消减cDNA文库,并对部分阳性克隆进行了初步分析,为深入研究磺胺氯吡嗪的抗弓形虫机制和寻找药物作用的关键靶分子奠定了基础.     

弓形虫酵母双杂交cDNA文库构建及与Rop38相互作用蛋白的筛选

为筛选与弓形虫棒状体蛋白38基因(Rop38)相互作用的宿主细胞蛋白,本研究利用MatchmakerTM Gold酵母双杂交系统,构建了人成纤维细胞(HFF)和人T细胞(CEM.NKR)的c DNA文库,以构建的p GBKT7-Rop38作为诱饵质粒,采用PEG/Li Ac法转化酵母菌株Y2H,利用表型筛选法检测Rop38的自激活作用并进行酵母双杂交筛选。结果表明,诱饵蛋白在酵母双杂交系统中无毒性和自激活作用,而且通过酵母双杂交筛选共获得29个与Rop38蛋白相互作用的宿主蛋白,其中HFF文库筛选到20个蛋白,CEM.NKR文库筛选到11个蛋白。本实验为进一步研究Rop38调节宿主细胞基因表达的信号通路奠定了基础。     

几种药物抗小鼠弓形虫感染的初步效果

为寻找有效的抗弓形虫药物,选择了临床上使用较多的6种药物进行抗小鼠弓形虫感染初步实验。用刚地弓形虫（Toxoplasma gondii）长宁株（CN株）速殖子,按1×104/鼠腹腔接种昆明系雄性小白鼠,接种后4 h用药组通过灌服或饮水用药,每鼠剂量分别为阿奇霉素（Azithromycin）150、120、90 mg/（kg·d）,泰妙菌素（Tiamulin）100 mg/（kg·d）,克拉霉素（Clarithromycin）15 mg/（kg·d）,磺胺氯吡嗪钠（Sulfachloropyrazine sodium）150、120、90 mg/（kg·d）,甲硝唑（Metronidazole）150 mg/（kg·d）,甲氧苄胺嘧啶（Trimethoprim）10 mg/（kg·d）,连续用药5~6 d,接种后10 d结束实验。结果阿奇霉素、磺胺氯吡嗪钠组的平均存活天数明显高于感染不用药组（P〈0.05）,泰妙菌素、克拉霉素、甲硝唑、甲氧苄胺嘧啶组在所用剂量下的存活天数与感染不用药组无明显差异（P〉0.05）;用药后4－7 d,取腹腔液镜检速殖子,与感染不用药组相比,阿奇霉素组减少70%以上,磺胺氯吡嗪钠组减少99%以上。研究结果提示,磺胺氯吡嗪钠具有良好的抗弓形虫效果,其推荐剂量与用药疗程还有待进一步研究。     

弓形虫ROP2基因的克隆及原核表达

应用PCR技术从刚地弓形虫（Toxoplasma gondii）RH株的基因组DNA中扩增编码棒状体蛋白ROP2（rh—potryprotein2）的部分基因，构建pGEX—KG—ROP2重组表达质粒，经酶切、PCR及DNA测序鉴定后，将阳性质粒转入E．coli BL21CodonPlus中，在IPTG诱导下表达，表达产物用SDS—PAGE和Western—blot分析鉴定。结果表明，扩增的ROP2基因与GenBank上发表的相应基因序列的同源性达99.9％，该基因可以在大肠杆菌中高效表达，表达的ROP2融合蛋白表观相对分子质量约为64000，可被兔抗弓形虫免疫血清识别。