Experimental infection with the Toxoplasma gondii ME-49 strain in the Brazilian BR-1 mini pig is a suitable animal model for human toxoplasmosis

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis, a worldwide disease. Experimentation with pigs is necessary for the development of new therapeutic approaches to human diseases. BR-1 mini pigs were intramuscularly infected with T. gondii with tachyzoites (RH strain) or orally infected with cysts (ME-49 strain). Haematology and serum biochemistry were analysed and buffy coat cells were inoculated in mice to determine tachyzoite circulation. No alterations were observed in erythrocyte and platelet values; however, band neutrophils increased seven days after infection with ME-49. Serology of the mice inoculated with pig blood leucocytes revealed circulating ME-49 or RH strain tachyzoites in the pigs' peripheral blood at two and seven or nine days post-infection. The tachyzoites were also directly observed in blood smears from the infected pigs outside and inside leucocytes for longer periods. Alanine-aminotransferase was high at days 21 and 32 in the RH infected pigs. After 90 days, the pigs were euthanised and their tissue samples were processed and inoculated into mice. The mice serology revealed the presence of parasites in the hearts, ileums and mesenteric lymph nodes of the pigs. Additionally, cysts in the mice were only observed after pig heart tissue inoculation. The infected pigs presented similar human outcomes with relatively low pathogenicity and the BR-1 mini pig model infected with ME-49 is suitable to monitor experimental toxoplasmosis.

Serum Metabolic Profiling of Oocyst-Induced Toxoplasma gondii Acute and Chronic Infections in Mice Using Mass-Spectrometry

“…Our results also showed interesting pathways associated with infection, such as alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism (Figure S7 ). This finding agrees with the previous observation that T. gondii infection of pigs, significantly influences the plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 21 and 32 days after infection with tachyzoites of RH strain (Miranda et al, 2015 ). L-glutamine, as an important carbon source when glucose uptake is inhibited during T.gondii infection, was found upregulated in the acute infection stage.…”

Does a Ureteral Obstruction Affect the Contralateral Kidney Morphology? A Stereological Analysis in a Rodent Model

“…The results indicated that the volumes of the renal tubules were augmented, which is in accordance with the literature [21]. Unbiased stereology has been used for studying the number of glomeruli in different conditions [12, 14, 16, 39] and is considered a highly sensitive method [40]. Thus, it may be thought that the obstructed kidney did not promote alterations in the number of glomeruli but in the tubular structure of contralateral kidney.…”

From Entry to Early Dissemination—Toxoplasma gondii's Initial Encounter With Its Host

“…This includes their use as a model for infection with other human-relevant, orally-acquired pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori and human rotavirus, as well as the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum (Meurens et al, 2012 ). In recent years the body of literature on the porcine cellular immune response specifically to T. gondii also increased (e.g., Miranda et al, 2015 ; Jennes et al, 2017 ; Nau et al, 2017 ). Notably, porcine IOs have also been described recently (Derricott et al, 2019 ).…”