title: Polarization of macrophages induced by Toxoplasma gondii and its impact on abnormal pregnancy in rats.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii infection is the leading cause of fetal intrauterine growth retardation among the five kinds of pathogens termed as TORCH, including Toxoplasma, Rubella virus, Cytomegalo virus, herpes virus and others during pregnancy. Pathogens infect the fetus through the placenta. T. gondii infection may result in congenital toxoplasmosis, miscarriage, stillbirth, and preemie, and increase pregnancy complications. Adaptive immune response induced by T. gondii infection stimulates T cells and macrophages to produce high levels of cytokines. Physiologically, the microenvironment of pregnancy was Th2-dominant. Here we set up a pregnant Sprague-Dawley rat model, and reported the polarization of macrophages induced by genotype Chinese 1 strain (Wh6) of Toxoplasma, and its adverse impact on pregnancy. The results showed that Wh6 infection pre- or in-gestation both led to abnormal pregnancy outcomes. Peritoneal macrophages in pre-gestation infection were polarized toward classically activated macrophages (M1), while in-gestation infection drove macrophages to polarize toward M2 activation. The Th2-dominant immune response in pregnant rat somewhat inhibits the excessive bias of the macrophages toward M1, and partially, toward M2. Infection of pre- and in-gestation may alter the physiological immune microenvironment in pregnant rats, giving rise to abnormal pregnancy outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Lanting
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Anhui Medical Iniversity, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Huiqin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Yihua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Faustina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pappoe
authors.affiliation: The Central Laboratory of Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Aimei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Central Laboratory of Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiucai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Yihong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China.
authors.forename: Qingli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Anhui Medical Iniversity, Hefei 230022, PR China. Electronic address: zlj33@ahmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Linjie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Anhui Key Laboratory of Zoonoses, Department of Parasitology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, PR China. Electronic address: shenjilong53@126.com.
authors.forename: Jilong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001119:Arginase / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000469:parasitology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001119:Arginase
keywords: Abnormal pregnancy; Macrophage polarization; Rat; Toxoplasma gondii