Abstract
The in vivo modulating activity of recombinant transforming growth factor (TGF)- β 2 on acute toxoplasmosis was evaluated in both Toxoplasma gondii susceptible C57BL/6 and resistant BALB/c mice. TGF- β 2 lethally exacerbated Toxoplasma encephalitis in C57BL/6, but not in BALB/c mice. In C57BL/6 mice, TGF- β 2 induced a profound dose-dependent increase of the intracerebral parasitic load as well as a reduction of IFN- γ levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid with a coincident decrease of MHC class II antigen expression of macrophages, microglial cells, and B cells. Furthermore, TGF- β 2-treated C57BL/6 mice showed a reduced activation of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells and a diminished recruitment of immune cells to the brain. The TGF- β 2-mediated development of lethal toxoplasmosis in C57BL/6 mice was abolished by treatment with recombinant interferon (IFN)- γ.
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