title: Distribution of lesions in fetal brains following experimental infection of pregnant sheep with Toxoplasma gondii.
abstract: Six ovine fetal brains were harvested 33 to 35 days postchallenge from 5 ewes, each of which was given 3000 Toxoplasma gondii oocysts on day 90 of pregnancy. Histopathologic examination of transverse sections taken at 13 levels in the fetal brains revealed the presence of toxoplasmosis-related lesions in all 6 brains. However, lesions were not randomly distributed (P = .007); they were most numerous at the level of the optic tract, the rostral margin of the pons, and 4 mm caudal to the ansate sulcus and were absent in all sections at the level of the caudal cerebellum. Lesion distribution may be due to hemodynamic factors, differences in the expression of endothelial surface receptor molecules at the level of the blood-brain barrier, or the presence of localized permissive/inhibitory factors within the brain. The results have implications for the selection of areas of brain from aborted ovine fetuses to be examined histopathologically for laboratory diagnosis.
authors: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Coosan, Athlone, Ireland. jim.odonovan@agriculture.gov.ie
authors: J
authors: J
authors: O'Donovan
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Proctor
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Gutierrez
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Worrell
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Nally
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Marques
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Brady
authors: M
authors: M
authors: McElroy
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Sammin
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Buxton
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Maley
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Bassett
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Markey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006652:Histological Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000635:transmission*