MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN A HUMAN RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL CELL LINE FOLLOWING INFECTION BY Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract

Retinitis is the most important clinical consequences of Toxoplasmosis but the mechanisms used by T. gondii tachyzoites to invade the retina are not yet understood. In the current study, cellular pathogenicity of Toxoplasmosis in a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) was investigated. Following in vitro infection of ARPE-19 with T. gondii tachyzoites, cell viability associated with infection was identified by Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Intracellular development of T. gondii tachyzoites within ARPE-19 was characterized by acridine orange (AO) staining. Morphological changes associated with infection was assessed by electron microscopy (EM). The results obtained showed that ARPE-19 permit the invasion, growth and development of T. gondii tachyzoites and that infection can cause a metabolic burden on the host cells and multiple morphological changes in the relocation of the host cell organelles (mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus) around the parasitphorous vacuole