CAPABILITY OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII TO INDUCE AN OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INITIATION OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC LESIONS IN CATS EXPERMENTALLY INFECTED

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the capability of Toxoplasma gondii to induce an oxidative stress status via an experimental infection of 12 domesticated cats appear free of natural Toxoplasma gondii infection, by feeding tachyzoites infected mice. Tachyzoites have been isolated from 3 month aborted ewes fetus. The positive results of this infection were achieved by the isolation of oocysts from the fecal matter at 7 days post infection (p.i.), as well as the demonstration of tissue cysts in the brain tissue of infected cats at 14 days p.i. This study was revealed that an oxidative stress status appear at 30 days p.i., clarified by significance elevation of MDA levels in liver, brain ,and aorta tissues of infected cats, concomitant with a significance reduction in GSH concentration in the same tissues. Moreover, the present study suggest the correlation of this oxidative stress with progression of atherosclerotic lesions namely: fatty lesions and fatty proliferative lesions, that appear in the aorta of infected cats at 30 days p.i. on the other side, this study remarks the serum fatty profiles and the gross and the histopathological changes in infected cats.