title: Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Improves Learning and Memory Impairment Induced byToxoplasma gondiiInfection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Here, we established the mouse models of chronic toxoplasmosis byT. gondiiTehran strain to provide a good understanding about defining the possible association betweenT. gondiiexposure and learning and memory impairments. Moreover, as secondary objective of the present study, we hypothesized whether administration of an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor could reduce learning and memory impairments induced byT. gondiiinfection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four male BALB/c mice were used to establishment of latent toxoplasmosis. The animal model ofToxoplasmainfection was established by the intraperitoneal inoculation of 20-25 tissue cysts from Tehran strain ofT. gondii.Donepezil (2 mg/kg) an AChE inhibitor to treat Alzheimer disease was injected intraperitoneally once a day for two weeks starting from post-infection day 90. Morris water maze (MWM) task was used to assay spatial learning and short term spatial memory in all groups. One-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc test was used to assess differences between experimental groups.P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Toxoplasmainfection impaired spatial leaning and short term spatial memory of the infected BALB/c mice, whereas donepezil, an AChE inhibitor, improved impairments induced byToxoplasmainfection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T. gondiiinfection through increasing AChE reduces the level of Acetylcholine (Ach) and consequently affects learning and memory activity in infected hosts, whereas, donepezil as an AChE inhibitor improves these impairments by restoring ACh levels at synapses of neurons in brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahmoudvand
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sheibani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology & Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Keshavarz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology & Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeedeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shojaee
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Khadijeh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Esmaeelpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ziaali
keywords: Donepezil; Maze learning; Memory; Spatial learning; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis