Hypertrophy of NADH-diaphorase positive myenteric neurons in rat jejunum after acute infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii
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.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Centro de Estudos de Venenos e Animais Peçonhentos (CEVAP/UNESP)
2010
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| Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1678-91992010000200011 |
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