Neospora caninum: High susceptibility to the parasite in C57BL/10ScCr mice

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2007

Authors

Botelho, AS (Author) Other; Teixeira, L (Author) Other; Correia da Costa, JM (Author) Other; Faustino, AMR (Author) Other; Castro, AG (Author) Other; Vilanova, M (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Experimental Parasitology

Vol. 115 No. 1

Pages: 68-75

ISSN: 0014-4894

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 12 Citations

Scopus - 15 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-D4N

DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2006.06.004

Abstract (EN): C57BL/10ScCr mice, lack Toll-like receptor 4 and a functional Interleukin-12 receptor. Taking this into account, susceptibility of these mice to Neospora caninum infection was assessed comparatively to that of immunocompetent C57BL/10ScSn mice. C57BL/10ScCr mice inoculated intraperitoneally with 5 x 10(5) N. caninum tachyzoites showed a high Susceptibility to this parasite. All infected C57BL/10ScCr mice were dead by day 8 post-infection whereas all control C57BL/10ScSn mice survived this parasitic challenge. Immunohistochemical analysis of infected C57BL/10ScCr mice showed N. caninum tachyzoites spread in the pancreas, liver, lung, intestine, heart and brain whereas no parasites were detected in similarly infected C57BL/10ScSn controls. The higher susceptibility of C57BL/10ScCr mice to neosporosis correlates with reduced interferon-gamma mRNA expression and increased IL-4 mRNA expression, comparatively to C57BL/10ScSn controls, detected in the spleen after the parasitic challenge. C57BL/10ScCr mice could thus be used as a new experimental model where to study immunobiological mechanisms associated with host Susceptibility to neosporosis.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8