title: Tissue tropism and parasite burden of Toxoplasma gondii RH strain in experimentally infected mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate parasite distribution and tissue tropism of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in experimentally infected mice using real time QPCR.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this survey 16 Balb/c mice were inoculated with 1 × 10(4) alive tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii RH strain. After 1, 2, 3 days post infection and the last day (before death), different tissues of mice including blood, brain, eye, liver, spleen, kidney, heart and muscle were harvested. Following tissues DNA extraction, the parasite burden was quantified using real time QPCR targeting the B1 gene (451 bp).
  
  
  RESULTS
  It showed that Toxoplasma after intraperitoneal injection was able to movement to various tissues in 24 hours. Parasite burden was high in all tissues but the most number of parasites were observed in kidney, heart and liver, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data provide significant baseline information about Toxoplasma pathogenesis, vaccine monitoring and drug efficiency.
authors: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Parasitology and Mycology Department, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors: Yousef
authors: Y
authors: Dadimoghaddam
authors: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Parasitology and Mycology Department, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. Electronic address: daryanii@yahoo.com.
authors: Ahmad
authors: A
authors: Daryani
authors: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Parasitology and Mycology Department, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Sharif
authors: Toxoplasmosis Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Parasitology and Mycology Department, Sari Medical School, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. Electronic address: ehsanahmadpour@gmail.com.
authors: Ehsan
authors: E
authors: Ahmadpour
authors: Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Hossienikhah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007668:Kidney / Q000469:parasitology; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D059208:Parasite Load; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018523:Tropism
keywords: Murine model; Parasite burden; Quantitative PCR; Tissue tropism; Toxoplasma gondii