Toxoplasma gondii Decreases the Reproductive Fitness in Mice

Dvořáková-Hortová, Kateřina; Sídlová, A; Děd, Lukáš; Hladovcová, Denisa; Vieweg, Markus; Weidner, W.; Steger, Klaus; Stopka, Pavel; Paradowska-Dogan, Agnieszka

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096770

Cited by 40 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…the deteriorated health of chronically infected hosts. -Hortova et al (2014) have demonstrated a direct relation between infection with T. gondii and a decreased male reproductive fitness in mice. They have observed significant differences in the reproductive parameters obtained from a detailed testicular histometric analysis and in DNA methylation pattern of the testicular epigenome between T. gondii-infected and T. gondii-free mice.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of latent toxoplasmosis on women's reproductive function: four cross-sectional studies

Kaňková¹,

Flegr²,

Calda³

2015

Folia Parasitologica

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Several studies have investigated the association between infection with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908), pregnancy and fertility, but the results of studies focused on the fertility are rather ambiguous. Here we report results of four new cross-sectional studies. The studies were performed in the General University Hospital, Prague (study A with n = 1 165, and study C with n = 317), in private clinics of the Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Prague (study B with n = 1 016), and in a population of Czech and Slovak volunteers from the Facebook page 'Guinea Pigs' willing to participate in various basic science studies (study D with n = 524). In studies A and B, the clinical records were used to assess the fertility problems, whereas in studies C and D, the women were asked to rate their fertility problems using a six-point scale. Pregnant T. gondii-infected women were older than T. gondii-free women (study A: 33.1 vs 31.2, P < 0.001; study B: 30.6 vs 29.6, P = 0.012) and more often used assisted reproductive technology to conceive (study A: 17.2% vs 12.4%, P = 0.041; study B: 13.4% vs 9.2%, P = 0.317). Pregnant T. gondii-infected primiparous women were older than T. gondii-free primiparas (study A: 31.1 vs 29.5, P < 0.001; study B: 29.7 vs 28.9, P = 0.064) and more often used assisted reproductive technology to conceive (study A: 24.7% vs 14.4%, P = 0.010; study B: 15.9% vs 15.5%, P = 0.888). T. gondii-infected women reported to take a longer time to conceive than T. gondii-free women (P = 0.015). They also claimed to have more fertility problems than T. gondii-free women (P < 0.0001). Our results suggest that 'asymptomatic' latent toxoplasmosis could be a more serious source of fertility problems and health-associated burden than more severe but far rarer congenital toxoplasmosis.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of latent toxoplasmosis on women's reproductive function: four cross-sectional studies

Kaňková¹,

Flegr²,

Calda³

2015

Folia Parasitologica

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“…Many studies have characterized infections that lead to a reduction in various reproductive measurements, like gametogenesis (gamete development), fertility and parental care [ 3 ]. Decreased gametogenesis occurred in the northern cricket frog after antigenic stimulation [ 4 ], in mice exposed to Toxoplasma gondii [ 5 ], in cattle with viral diarrhoea [ 6 ] and pneumonia [ 7 ], in dogs with canine leishmaniasis [ 8 ], and in humans with Helicobacter pylori infection [ 9 ] and AIDS [ 10 , 11 ]. Decreased overall fertility has been reported in the insect Rhodnius prolixus when infected with Trypanosoma rangeli [ 12 ], and decreased parental care effort has been observed in blue tits [ 13 ], and in house sparrows as they combat infection [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we measured reproductive effort in P. corroboree and L. v. alpina experimentally infected with Bd. In males, we counted spermatogenesis stages, number of spermatic cysts and seminiferous tubule area as a proxy for reproductive effort [ 4 , 5 , 33 ]. In female L. v. alpina , we measured mass of the gonads, and counted developed eggs and total grossly visible cells inside the ovaries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amphibians with infectious disease increase their reproductive effort: evidence for the terminal investment hypothesis

et al. 2016

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Mounting an immune response to fight disease is costly for an organism and can reduce investment in another life-history trait, such as reproduction. The terminal investment hypothesis predicts that an organism will increase reproductive effort when threatened by disease. The reproductive fitness of amphibians infected with the deadly fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is largely unknown. In this study, we explored gametogenesis in two endangered and susceptible frog species, Pseudophryne corroboree and Litoria verreauxii alpina. Gametogenesis, both oogenesis and spermatogenesis, increased when animals were experimentally infected with Bd. In P. corroboree, infected males have thicker germinal epithelium, and a larger proportion of spermatocytes. In L. v. alpina, infected males had more spermatic cell bundles in total, and a larger proportion of spermatozoa bundles. In female L. v. alpina, ovaries and oviducts were larger in infected animals, and there were more cells present within the ovaries. Terminal investment has consequences for the evolution of disease resistance in declining species. If infected animals are increasing reproductive efforts and producing more offspring before succumbing to disease, it is possible that population-level selection for disease resistance will be minimized.

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“…Dass et al found altered DNA methylation of the vasopressin receptor in the amygdala of chronically infected mice [50]. Altered methylation status of the promoters of spermatogenesis genes in infected testis was also observed [93]. This suggests that T. gondii is able to co-op host mechanisms of chromatin regulation.…”

Section: Epigenetic Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurophysiological Changes Induced by Chronic <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> Infection

Tedford

McConkey

2017

Preprint

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Although the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most pervasive neurotropic pathogens in the world, the host-parasite interactions during CNS infection and consequences of neurological infection are just beginning to be unraveled. The chronic stages of infection have been considered dormant, although several studies have found correlations of infection with an array of host behavioral changes. These may facilitate parasite transmission and impact neurological diseases. During infection, in addition to the presence of the parasites within neurons, hostmediated neuroimmune and hormonal responses to infection are also present. T. gondii induces numerous changes to host neurons during infection and globally alters host neurological signaling pathways, as discussed in this review. Understanding the neurophysiological changes in the host brain is imperative to understanding the parasitic mechanisms and to delineate the effects of this single-celled parasite on health and its contribution to neurological disease.

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Toxoplasma gondii Decreases the Reproductive Fitness in Mice

Cited by 40 publications

References 53 publications

The influence of latent toxoplasmosis on women's reproductive function: four cross-sectional studies

The influence of latent toxoplasmosis on women's reproductive function: four cross-sectional studies

Amphibians with infectious disease increase their reproductive effort: evidence for the terminal investment hypothesis

Neurophysiological Changes Induced by Chronic <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> Infection

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