title: Behavioural changes and muscle strength in Rattus norvegicus experimentally infected with Toxocara cati and T. canis.
abstract: Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are nematode parasites in dogs and cats, respectively, transmitted by ingestion of embryonated eggs, transmammary and transplacental (T. canis) routes and paratenic host predation. Many parasites use mechanisms that change the behaviour of their hosts to ensure continued transmission. Several researchers have demonstrated behavioural changes in mouse models as paratenic hosts for T. canis. However, there have been no studies on behavioural changes in laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) experimentally infected with T. cati. This study investigated behavioural changes and muscle strength in male and female rats experimentally infected with T. cati or T. canis in acute and chronic phases of infection. Regardless of sex, rats infected with T. cati showed a greater decrease in muscle strength 42 days post infection compared to rats infected with T. canis. However, behavioural changes were only observed in female rats infected with T. canis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo - LIM 06, Avenida Doutor Eneias de Carvalho Aguiar,450 - Cerqueira Cesar,São Paulo,SP05403-000,Brazil.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Rua Doutor Cesário Mota Jr.,61, Santa Cecília,São Paulo,SP01221-020,Brazil.
authors.forename: J V L
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo - LIM 06, Avenida Doutor Eneias de Carvalho Aguiar,450 - Cerqueira Cesar,São Paulo,SP05403-000,Brazil.
authors.forename: S A Z
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lescano
authors.affiliation: Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo/SUVIS/Vila Maria/Vila Guilherme,Avenida Guilherme, 82, Vila Guilherme,São Paulo,SP02053-000,Brazil.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Rua Doutor Cesário Mota Jr.,61, Santa Cecília,São Paulo,SP01221-020,Brazil.
authors.forename: M C S A
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo - LIM 06, Avenida Doutor Eneias de Carvalho Aguiar,450 - Cerqueira Cesar,São Paulo,SP05403-000,Brazil.
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Chieffi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D051381:Rats; D014119:Toxocara / Q000502:physiology*; D014120:Toxocariasis / Q000473:pathology*