Experimental PorcineToxoplasma gondiiInfection as a Representative Model for Human Toxoplasmosis

Abstract

Porcine infections are currently not the state-of-the-art model to study human diseases. Nevertheless, the course of human and porcine toxoplasmosis is much more comparable than that of human and murine toxoplasmosis. For example, severity of infection, transplacental transmission, and interferon-gamma-induced antiparasitic effector mechanisms are similar in pigs and humans. In addition, the severe immunosuppression during acute infection described in mice does not occur in the experimentally infected ones. Thus, we hypothesise that porcine Toxoplasma gondii infection data are more representative for human toxoplasmosis. We therefore suggest that the animal model chosen must be critically evaluated for its assignability to human diseases.

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

“…There are also clinical similarities between the human and porcine responses to T. gondii , which further suggest the pig may be an appropriate model for human infection. For example, postnatal infection with T. gondii is usually asymptomatic or mild in humans and pigs, whereas infections with some parasite strains can be fatal in mice (Dubey, 1986 ; Nau et al, 2017 ). During pregnancy in humans and pigs parasites can often cross the placental barrier and result in abortion or congenital toxoplasmosis (Jungersen et al, 2001 ), whereas fetal infections are rare in immunocompetent mice (Shiono et al, 2007 ; Nau et al, 2017 ).…”

“…For example, postnatal infection with T. gondii is usually asymptomatic or mild in humans and pigs, whereas infections with some parasite strains can be fatal in mice (Dubey, 1986 ; Nau et al, 2017 ). During pregnancy in humans and pigs parasites can often cross the placental barrier and result in abortion or congenital toxoplasmosis (Jungersen et al, 2001 ), whereas fetal infections are rare in immunocompetent mice (Shiono et al, 2007 ; Nau et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, as omnivorous mammals pigs, like humans, are naturally at risk of exposure to both T. gondii tissue cysts and oocysts in their diet (Meurens et al, 2012 ).…”

An Overview of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells as a Model for Immunological Research of Toxoplasma gondii and Other Apicomplexan Parasites

“…There have been highly controversial results associated with some of these models because they do not completely mimic human toxoplasmosis (Hunter and Sibley, 2012; Niedelman et al, 2012; Seok et al, 2013). In fact, some scientists have argued that new approaches must be explored; some have even proposed new models for studying T. gondii (Cornelissen et al, 2014; Tanaka et al, 2016; Nau et al, 2017).…”

Global Transcriptome Profiling of Multiple Porcine Organs Reveals Toxoplasma gondii-Induced Transcriptional Landscapes

“…In contrast, transcriptomics and genetic technologies have shown pigs to be genetically and mechanistically relevant to study human conditions (3, 10, 11). Importantly, the common attributes of T. gondii infection, such as severity of infection, transplacental transmission, and interferon-gamma-related antiparasitic effector mechanisms are more similar in pigs and humans compared to the same aspects of disease in mice (4, 12–18). These facts suggest that domestic pigs ( Sus scrofa domesticus ) are more relevant model to the study of the pathophysiology of human toxoplasmosis.…”