title: Apoptosis of mouse hippocampal cells induced by Taenia crassiceps metacestode factor.
abstract: Seizures, headache, depression and neurological deficits are the signs and symptoms most frequently reported in human neurocysticercosis. However, the cause of the associated learning and memory deficits is unknown. Here, we used Taenia crassiceps infection in mice as a model of human cysticercosis. The effects of T. crassiceps metacestode infection or T. crassiceps metacestode factor (MF) treatment on mouse hippocampal cells were studied; control mice were included. At 45 days after infection or treatment of the mice with MF, all mice were anaesthetized and perfused transcardially with saline followed by phosphate-buffered 10% formalin. Then the brains were carefully removed. Coronal sections stained using several techniques were analysed. Extensive and significant apoptosis was found in the experimental animals, mainly in the dentate gyrus, CA1, CA2, CA3 and neighbouring regions, in comparison with the apparently intact cells from control mice (P < 0.01). These results suggest that neurological deficits, especially the learning and memory deficits, may be generated by extensive apoptosis of hippocampal cells.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Estructural,Instituto de Fisiología Celular,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,70-242.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zepeda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología,Facultad de Medicina,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,4510.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solano
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Estructural,Instituto de Fisiología Celular,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,70-242.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Copitin
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurociencia Cognitiva,Instituto de Fisiología Celular,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,70-242.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chávez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología,Facultad de Medicina,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,4510.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Imagenología,Instituto de Fisiología Celular,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,70-242.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología,Facultad de Medicina,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,4510.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tato
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Estructural,Instituto de Fisiología Celular,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México,Ciudad de México,70-242.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Molinari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020019:Neurocysticercosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013621:Taenia / Q000502:physiology*; D013622:Taeniasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*