Experimental infection by Neospora caninum in gerbil reduces activity of enzymes involved in energy metabolism.

Experimental infection by Neospora caninum in gerbil reduces activity of enzymes involved in energy metabolism. Exp Parasitol. 2019 Nov 04;:107790 Authors: Da Silva AS, Gebert RR, Reis JH, Baldissera MD, Souza CF, Barros LD, Garcia JL, Gris A, Mendes RE Abstract Neospora caninum is a protozoan that has tropism for the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to determine whether experimental infection of gerbils would interfere with activity of enzymes associated with energy metabolism. We randomized 20 gerbils into two groups (ten animals per group): the control group (healthy animals; uninfected) and the infected group (experimentally infected with dose 7.8 x 102 tachyzoites of N. caninum per gerbil). On day six and twelve post-infection (PI), brain and spleen tissues were collected for biochemical and histopathological analyses. No histopathological lesions were observed in the brains of infected animals; however, inflammatory infiltrates were found in the spleen. Significantly greater levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed in the brain and spleen of infected gerbils than in the control group at 12 days PI. Cytosolic creatine kinase (CK-CYT), mitochondrial creatine kinase (CK-MIT), and pyruvate kinase (PK) activities were lower in the brains of infected gerbils than in those of the control group on day 12 PI. There was significantly less CK-CYT activity in the spleens of infected gerbils on day 6 and 12 PI....
Source: Experimental Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: research