Toxoplasma gondii infection of neurons induces neuronal cytokine and chemokine production, but gamma interferon- and tumor necrosis factor-stimulated neurons fail to inhibit the invasion and growth of T. gondii.
The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii has the capacity to persist in the brain within neurons. In this study we demonstrated that T. gondii infected murine cerebellar neurons in vitro and replicated within these cells. Stimulation with gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) did not enable neurons to inhibit parasite invasion and replication. Cultured neurons constitutively produced interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha (MIP-1alpha), and MIP-1beta but not transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), IL-10, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Neuronal expression of some cytokines (IL-6, TGF-beta1) and chemokines (MIP-1beta) was regulated by infection and/or by IFN-gamma and TNF.
Schlüter
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Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany. dirk.schlueter@imh.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
Deckert
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Hof
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Frei
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D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009474:Neurons / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma