Effect of Acute Toxoplasmosis on Anxiety and Cortisol and Interleukin-17 Levels in Male Rats: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan with worldwide distribution. Recent studies have shown that the transmission of T. gondii is facilitated by its ability to modify the host’s behavior. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of T. gondii infection on anxiety in an animal model and determine the levels of cortisol and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in rats. Methods: In this study, 40 rats were randomly allocated to four groups, namely uninfected animals as the control group, infected group, infected and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX)-treated group, and infected and dexamethasone-receiving group. Thirty days after the infection, the rats were subjected to behavioral tests utilizing the plus maze. The cortisol and IL-17 levels in the serum of the infected rats were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The infected rats had a significantly higher number of entries to the open arms, and the mean spent time in the open arms was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01). The dexamethasone-receiving and TMP-SMX-treated rats had a lower number of entries to the open arms, and the mean spent time in the open arms was less than that of the infected group; however, there were no significant differences in closed arm entries between different groups and the control group. Regarding the total activity, the infected rats had significantly higher values than the controls, dexamethasone-receiving rats, and TMP-SMX-treated rats; nevertheless, the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions: In conclusion, it was observed that T. gondii had anxiolytic effects, and IL-17 and cortisol levels increased in the serum of the infected rats.