title: Toxoplasma gondii: the severity of toxoplasmic encephalitis in C57BL/6 mice is associated with increased ALCAM and VCAM-1 expression in the central nervous system and higher blood-brain barrier permeability.
abstract: In order to investigate the differential ALCAM, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 adhesion molecules mRNA expression and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice in Toxoplasma gondii infection, animals were infected with ME-49 strain. It was observed higher ALCAM on day 9 and VCAM-1 expression on days 9 and 14 of infection in the central nervous system (CNS) of C57BL/6 compared to BALB/c mice. The expression of ICAM-1 was high and similar in the CNS of both lineages of infected mice. In addition, C57BL/6 presented higher BBB permeability and higher IFN-gamma and iNOS expression in the CNS compared to BALB/c mice. The CNS of C57BL/6 mice presented elevated tissue pathology and parasitism. In conclusion, our data suggest that the higher adhesion molecules expression and higher BBB permeability contributed to the major inflammatory cell infiltration into the CNS of C57BL/6 mice that was not efficient to control the parasite.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunopathology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG 38400-902, Brazil. nmsilva@icbim.ufu.br
authors.forename: Neide Maria
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Renato Martins
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Manzan
authors.forename: Wesley Pereira
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Cristiane Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Milanezi
authors.forename: João Santana
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Eloísa Amália Vieira
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: José Roberto
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mineo
mesh_terms: D020410:Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D010539:Permeability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D020410:Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II