title: Neospora caninum: high susceptibility to the parasite in C57BL/10ScCr mice.
abstract: C57BL/10ScCr mice, lack Toll-like receptor 4 and a functional Interleukin-12 receptor. Taking this into account, susceptibility of these mice to Neospora caninum infection was assessed comparatively to that of immunocompetent C57BL/10ScSn mice. C57BL/10ScCr mice inoculated intraperitoneally with 5x10(5)N. caninum tachyzoites showed a high susceptibility to this parasite. All infected C57BL/10ScCr mice were dead by day 8 post-infection whereas all control C57BL/10ScSn mice survived this parasitic challenge. Immunohistochemical analysis of infected C57BL/10ScCr mice showed N. caninum tachyzoites spread in the pancreas, liver, lung, intestine, heart and brain whereas no parasites were detected in similarly infected C57BL/10ScSn controls. The higher susceptibility of C57BL/10ScCr mice to neosporosis correlates with reduced interferon-gamma mRNA expression and increased IL-4 mRNA expression, comparatively to C57BL/10ScSn controls, detected in the spleen after the parasitic challenge. C57BL/10ScCr mice could thus be used as a new experimental model where to study immunobiological mechanisms associated with host susceptibility to neosporosis.
authors.affiliation: ICBAS--Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Largo do Professor Abel Salazar 2, 4099-003, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Botelho
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Correia-da-Costa
authors.forename: A M R
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Faustino
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vilanova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000235:genetics; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000235:genetics; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018688:Neospora / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12 / Q000235:genetics; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics; D014781:Viscera / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053707:Receptors, Interleukin-12; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma