title: Histological and immunohistochemical characterization of the inflammatory and glial cells in the central nervous system of goat fetuses and adult male goats naturally infected with Neospora caninum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan protozoan that is considered one of the main agents responsible for abortion in ruminants. The lesions found in the central nervous system (CNS) of aborted fetuses show multifocal necrosis, gliosis, and perivascular cuffs of mononuclear cells, but the inflammatory and glial cells have not been immunophenotypically characterized. The lesions in the CNS of infected adult animals have rarely been described. Therefore, in this study, we characterized the lesions, the immunophenotypes of the inflammatory and glial cells and the expression of MHC-II and PCNA in the CNS of goats infected with N. caninum. The CNS of eight aborted fetuses and six adult male goats naturally infected with N. caninum were analyzed with lectin histochemistry (RCA1) and immunohistochemistry (with anti-CD3, -CD79α, -GFAP, -MHC-II, and -PCNA antibodies). All animals were the offspring of dams naturally infected with N. caninum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The microscopic lesions in the CNS of the aborted fetuses consisted of perivascular cuffs composed mainly of macrophages (RCA1(+)), rare T lymphocytes (CD3(+)), and rare B lymphocytes (CD79α(+)). Multifocal necrosis surrounded by astrocytes (GFAP(+)), gliosis composed predominantly of monocytic-lineage cells (macrophages and microglia, RCA1(+)), and the cysts of N. caninum, related (or not) to the lesions were present. Similar lesions were found in four of the six male goats, and multinucleate giant cells related to focal gliosis were also found in three adult goats. Anti-GFAP immunostaining showed astrocytes characterizing areas of glial scarring. Cysts of N. caninum were found in three adult male goats. The presence of N. caninum was evaluated with histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and PCR. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated anti-PCNA labeling of macrophages and microglia in the perivascular cuffs and the expression of MHC-II by microglia and endothelial cells in the CNS of the aborted fetuses and adult male goats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Macrophages and microglia were the predominant inflammatory cells in the CNS of aborted fetuses and healthy adult male goats infected with N. caninum. Activated astrocytes were mainly associated with inflamed areas, suggesting that astrocytes were involved in the resolution of the lesions.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. rafaelccosta3@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rafael Carneiro
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. deboribeiro.orlando@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Débora Ribeiro
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Orlando
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. camilacabreu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Camila Costa
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. karenyumi@ymail.com.
authors.forename: Karen Yumi Ribeiro
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Nakagaki
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 - Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. leopmesquita@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Leonardo Pereira
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. lismarajf@oi.com.br.
authors.forename: Lismara Castro
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. aline.veterinaria.ufla@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aline Costa
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87 - Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. maiorka@usp.br.
authors.forename: Paulo César
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Maiorka
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. anappeconick@dmv.ufla.br.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Peconick
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. djeison.raymundo@dmv.ufla.br.
authors.forename: Djeison Lutier
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Raymundo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Lavras, Setor de Patologia Veterinária, Caixa postal 3037, Lavras, MG, Brazil. msvaraschin@dmv.ufla.br.
authors.forename: Mary Suzan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Varaschin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000196:embryology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D006041:Goats / Q000196:embryology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D018688:Neospora; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology