Department of Immunoparasitology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland.
Parasitol Res. 2012 Jul;111(1):53-8. doi: 10.1007/s00436-011-2800-y. Epub 2012 Jan 6.
Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, is capable of infecting a broad range of intermediate warm-blooded hosts including humans. The parasite undergoes sexual reproduction resulting in genetic variability only in the intestine of the definitive host (a member of the cat family). The parasite seems to be capable of altering the natural behavior of the host to favor its transmission in the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the number of parasite cysts formed in the hippocampus and amygdala of experimentally infected mice as these regions are involved in defense behaviors control and emotion processing, and to assess the influence of the infection on mice behavior. The obtained results revealed the presence of parasite cysts both in the hippocampus and the amygdala of infected mice; however, no clear region-dependent distribution was observed. Furthermore, infected mice showed significantly diminished exploratory activity described by climbing and rearing, smaller preference for the central, more exposed part of the OF arena and engaged in less grooming behavior compared to uninfected controls.
刚地弓形虫是一种原生动物寄生虫，能够感染包括人类在内的广泛的中间温血宿主。寄生虫进行有性繁殖，仅在终宿主（猫科动物的一员）的肠道中产生遗传变异。寄生虫似乎能够改变宿主的自然行为，以有利于其在环境中的传播。本研究旨在评估实验感染小鼠海马体和杏仁核中形成的寄生虫包囊数量，因为这些区域参与防御行为的控制和情绪处理，并评估感染对小鼠行为的影响。研究结果表明，感染小鼠的海马体和杏仁核中均存在寄生虫包囊；然而，未观察到明显的与区域相关的分布。此外，与未感染的对照组相比，感染小鼠的攀爬和直立行为明显减少，对开放场中心、更暴露部分的偏好更小，梳理行为也更少。
