Invasion of human retinal vascular endothelial cells by Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites

Br J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jun;92(6):852-5

Invasion of human retinal vascular endothelial cells by Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites

Zamora DO, Rosenbaum JT, Smith JR.

Oregon Health and Science University, L467AD, Biomedical Research Building, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, USA; smithjus@ohsu.edu.

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii infection is a leading cause of posterior uveitis. Human retinal endothelial cells (HREC) are more susceptible to infection with T gondii tachyzoites than other subpopulations of endothelial cells. It is hypothesised that this phenomenon reflects differences in invasion efficiency. METHODS: YFP-expressing RH strain T gondii tachyzoites were added to confluent HREC or human dermal endothelial cells (HDEC) (MOI = 50:1). Tachyzoite invasion after 1 h was determined by microplate reading of fluorescence intensity or parasite counts obtained using image analysis software. Selected cultures were incubated for three subsequent days, at which time fluorescence intensity indicated intracellular tachyzoite proliferation. RESULTS: HREC-tachyzoite cultures were more fluorescent than HDEC-tachyzoite cultures after 1 h (p = 0.020, paired t test, 3 experiments). Parasite counts also indicated that more tachyzoites invaded HREC than HDEC (p = 0.042, paired t test, 5 experiments). At 3 days, fluorescence intensity remained higher in HREC-tachyzoite cultures (p
PMID: 18523089 [PubMed - in process]