title: Toxoplasma gondii: effect of maternal infection in the development of lymphoid organs of BALB/c neonates.
abstract: Toxoplasmosis is one of the worldwide parasitic zoonoses. Alterations in the lymphopoietic system are still poorly studied. We analyzed lymphoid organs of BALB/c mice neonates from Toxoplasma gondii-intraperitoneally-infected mothers on 19th day of gestation, with 30 tachyzoites of strain RH. Normal non-infected pregnant females were used as controls. At 7 days after birth, animals were classified as neonates from infected (NIM) and neonates from non-infected mothers (NNIM). Weight of the thymus and number of thymic cells in NIM were decreased, percentage of apoptosis was significantly increased. Decrease in lymphocytes and monocytes and an increase of plasma cells were observed in bone marrow of NIM. Peripheral blood of NIM showed an increase of monocytes and neutrophils and a decrease in lymphocytes. Infection of the mother during the last day of gestation provokes in the neonates changes in the lymphoid organs that could explain survival of 75% of them.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, IPN. Prol. Carpio y Plan de Ayala s/n, Col. Plutarco Elías Calles Casco de Santo Tomás, CP 11340 Mexico D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: María Asunción
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cabañas-Cortés
authors.forename: Elba
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reyes-Maldonado
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montiel-Cervantes
authors.forename: María Lilia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Domínguez-López
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Zamudio
authors.forename: Ethel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García-Latorre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis; D001835:Body Weight; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008098:Litter Size; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000196:embryology* / Q000276:immunology