title: Plasma leptin levels in rats with induced Toxoplasma gondii infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To explore the changes in plasma leptin levels of rats with induced Toxoplasma gondii infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 20 Spraque-Dawley type adult male rats, which were equally divided into two groups. Group 1, general control group. Group 2, infection group (rats in this group were infected with live Toxoplasma gondii parasite, which was injected in 0.5 ml serum physiologic through intraperitoneal route, so that 10-12 parasites were seen in the area under a light microscope). Blood samples collected from all animals 4 weeks after the infection were analyzed to determine plasma leptin levels (RIA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the body weights of groups 1 and 2 at the end of the study. Plasma leptin levels in the infection group (group 2) were significantly higher than those in group 1 (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Toxoplasma gondii infection can cause an increase in leptin secretion without changing body weight in a period of 4 weeks in rats (Tab. 1, Ref. 25).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Baltaci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mogulkoc
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011745:Pyrithiamine; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D011745:Pyrithiamine