Hypertrophy of NADH-diaphorase positive myenteric neurons in rat jejunum after acute infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii

• Published in: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: LS Pereira, AV Silva, EJA Araújo, DMG Sant'Ana
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SciELO 2010
• Subjects: Toxoplasma gondii; jejunum; myenteric plexus; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Toxicology. Poisons; RA1190-1270; Zoology; QL1-991; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-91992010000200011; https://doaj.org/article/e7e1db695e874ef6a78b81c2696a11fd

Toxoplasmosis, a globally distributed feline-associated zoonosis caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, affects birds and mammals, including humans. This study assesses the consequences of acute T. gondii infection for NADH-diaphorase positive myenteric neurons in rat jejunum. Ten male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were divided into two groups: G1 (n = 5) and G2 (n = 5). Animals from G2 were orally inoculated with 500 genotype III (M7741) T. gondii oocysts. Twenty-four hours after inoculation, the animals were euthanized and had their jejuna removed, through laparotomy, and measured (length and width) to calculate their areas. Intestinal segments were submitted to NADH-diaphorase histochemistry to evidence the most metabolically active subpopulation of myenteric neurons. No changes were found in body weight; intestinal length, width or area; or neuron population density. Increase of body cell area and cytoplasm and decrease of nuclear area of the myenteric neurons of infected animals were observed by morphometric analysis.