Basic biological aspects of Tritrichomonas foetus of re-levance to the treatment of bovines suffering of tricho-moniasis

Abstract

Tritrichomonas foetus is a flagellate protozoan and the etiological agent of bovine genital tri-chomoniasis [1], which is an infectious vene- real disease. This parasite is usually found as- sociated with the mucosal surface of the uro- genital tract in females or the male preputial and penile membranes. In females, the clinical ma-nifestations may include abortion, with repe- tition of estrus at irregular intervals, vaginitis, cervicitis, endometritis, and pyometra. Parasi- tized males may have a discharge with small nodules in the preputial membrane. After that, the bulls have no clinical symptoms, and are thus an asymptomatic carrier that may spread the infection. Considering that a bull could cover up to twenty females [2], bovine genital trichomoniasis is a serious medical and veteri- nary problem, with economical repercussion for beef and milk production. As T. foetus is an amitochondrial and aerotolerant organism, en- ergy production under low O2 tension in the protozoan is done via hydrogenosome, which, as the name suggests, is the organelle where H2 is generated [3,4,5]. The molecular machinery of mitochondrial cell death is, therefore, absent in this parasite and the mechanism that activates of cell death program is not clear. This review seeks to understand the characteristics of the protozoan parasite T. foetus in order to propose new therapies for animals suffering from this infectious and contagious agent

Co-infection by Tritrichomonas foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis in asymptomatic cats

“…False-negative results can occur when using only one technique and a single sample. The ideal would the use of a routine for the diagnosis of feline similar trichomoniasis which is made in the bovine, as the realization of more than a collection of material for analysis to rule out the infection thereby increasing the diagnostic sensitivity (Da Silva et al 2011).…”

A Review of Some Protozoan Parasites Causing Infertility in Farm Animals

“…It is worldwide in distribution and has been reported to possibly be the third most common cause of abortion in cattle (after Brucellosis and Leptospirosis) [51]. The causative agent, Tritrichomonas foetus, is a flagellated protozoan parasite transmitted from infected, asymptomatic bulls to heifers or cows at the time of coitus [52].…”

Cell Death after Photodynamic Therapy Treatment in Unicellular Protozoan Parasite Tritrichomonas foetus

“…It has become increasingly apparent that the mechanisms of cell death show a large diversity of phenotypes and cellular mechanisms, and, apparently, a modulation mechanism of cell death may lead to another [8]. Besides, the conservation of the molecular mechanism is relevant to the functional role of PCD process in the biology of protozoa since studies confirm the existence of this process in unicellular eukaryotes of different phylogenetic origins [9]. Hypotheses of alternative pathways of trichomonads cell death are suggested in Figure 1.…”