Hepatic stellate cells increase in Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice

Abstract

BackgroundToxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite that can infect humans and animals. The severity of toxoplasmosis varies according to the immune status of the individual, parasite strain, and host species. In mammalian species, it has been observed that severe lesions of acute toxoplasmosis form in visceral organs such as the liver, lung, and spleen. Some epidemiological studies have reported an association of T. gondii infection with liver cirrhosis.MethodsAcute infection was induced in fifteen 30-day-old normal Swiss albino mice. The mice were infected by intraperitoneal inoculation of 5000 T. gondii RH strain tachyzoites. The mice were sacrificed in groups of 5 at 2, 4, and 6 days after inoculation. Another group of 5 mice were used as the controls. Anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and anti-T. gondii antibodies were used to compare GFAP-immunoreactive cells and anti-T. gondii–immunopositive areas in the liver between the T. gondii-infected groups and the healthy controls, respectively.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between the numbers of GFAP-positive hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) when they were compared with T. gondii antigen immunostaining (p < 0.05). The amount of T. gondii immunostaining increased significantly with the increase in the number of HSCs.ConclusionsThere is a significant relationship between the number of HSCs and T. gondii antigens, which may represent an active role of HSCs in liver pathology and the pathobiology of T. gondii-related hepatitis.

Evaluation of oxidative stress, hematological and biochemical parameters during Toxoplasma gondii infection in gerbils

“…Toxoplasmosis causes severe and progressive damage to the liver (8,9,40), resulting in alterations in liver metabolism (40). We found that plasma AST and ALT activities were increased in T. gondii-infected gerbils, consistent with previous studies conducted on rats (14,41).…”

“…Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that frequently infects warm-blooded animals, including humans (9,11,18). Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasites throughout the world (18) which can cause either acute or chronic infection (36).…”

Unexplained Liver Damage, Cryptogenic Liver Cirrhosis, and Steatohepatitis May Be Caused by Latent Chronic Toxoplasmosis

“…Because development and clinical course of these comorbidities are often associated with an increased production of various pro-and antiinflammatory cytokines which are overlapping with T H 1 and T H 2 type of cytokines generated by T.gondii infection, such an excess of various factors and released biomediators may exert beneficial or harmful effects in the host, depending on their final constellations in the body. These suggestions are in agreement with recent reports that emphasized an important role of the parasite in development of liver damage and T. gondii-related hepatitis [39][40][41] .…”

Cachexia and fibrosis are costs of chronic IL-1R-mediated disease tolerance inT. gondiiinfection

“…1E). When individual tissues were dissected and weighed, we found that inguinal subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT), epigonadal visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) and quadricep muscle mass (Quad) were significantly reduced at two-weeks post infection and hepatomegaly was also observed, consistent with published reports of acute T. gondii infection in the liver (Atmaca et al, 2013). (Fig.…”