Abstract
BackgroundToxoplasma parasite alters the transduction of neurotransmitter signals and leads to changes in the level of brain neurotransmitters including tyrosine and dopamine, so behavior changes can occur in infected hosts. Based on this concept, this study was conducted for evaluation of the tyrosine and dopamine serum levels in infected mice with chronic toxoplasmosis. Materials and MethodsToxoplasma gondii (Prugniaud strain II) was injected intraperitoneally into BALB/c mice to induce chronic toxoplasmosis. Modified agglutination test (MAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and microscopic methods were conducted to confirm the induction of chronic toxoplasmosis. The infected mouse sera were separated at days 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 for evaluation of tyrosine and dopamine serum levels using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results Microscopic methods confirmed the formation of the Toxoplasma cysts in mouse tissues. Inducing chronic toxoplasmosis is also confirmed by MAT, PCR, and histological methods. HPLC results indicated a decrease in serum tyrosine level at day 40 in infected mice in comparison to control, and the levels were too low to be measured at other times. However, a significantly high serum dopamine level was observed that gradually increased after parasite inoculation. Conclusions No detection of tyrosine level in most of the sample groups is probably related to the very low concentration of tyrosine in sera. However, low concentration of tyrosine at day 40 and increase of dopamine in most of the sample groups suggest the production of dopamine from tyrosine due to the presence of Toxoplasma in infected mice.
Highlights
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease that caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan belonging to the Phylum Apicomplexa
Since the ratio of 1 : 20 is considered as a positive cutoff in interpretation of Modified agglutination test (MAT) results, induction of chronic toxoplasmosis was confirmed in the pilot group
The authors of a study in 2009 believed that tyrosine level in infected animal models with toxoplasmosis decreased at two days after parasite injection due to the presence and expression of the encoding genes of tyrosine hydroxylase (AaaH1 and AaaH2) in Toxoplasma parasite [16]
Summary
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease that caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan belonging to the Phylum Apicomplexa. Toxoplasma parasite alters the transduction of neurotransmitter signals and leads to changes in the level of brain neurotransmitters including tyrosine and dopamine, so behavior changes can occur in infected hosts. Based on this concept, this study was conducted for evaluation of the tyrosine and dopamine serum levels in infected mice with chronic toxoplasmosis. Low concentration of tyrosine at day 40 and increase of dopamine in most of the sample groups suggest the production of dopamine from tyrosine due to the presence of Toxoplasma in infected mice
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