Murine neonatal infection provides an efficient model for congenital ocular toxoplasmosis

Exp Parasitol. 2009 Sep 12. [Epub ahead of print]

Murine neonatal infection provides an efficient model for congenital ocular toxoplasmosis

Lahmar I, Guinard M, Sauer A, Marcellin L, Abdelrahman T, Roux M, Mousli M, Moussa A, Babba H, Pfaff AW, Candolfi E.

Institut de Parasitologie et de Pathologie Tropicale, EA 4438, Université de Strasbourg, France; Laboratoire de Parasitologie Mycologie 99-UR/08-05 Faculté de Pharmacie, Monastir, Tunisia.

Congenital infection is one of the most serious settings of infection with the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Ocular diseases, such as retinochoroiditis, are the most common sequels of such infection in utero. However, while numerous studies have investigated the physiopathology of acquired toxoplasmosis, congenital infection has been largely neglected so far. Here, we establish a mouse model of congenital ocular toxoplasmosis. Parasite load and ocular pathology have been followed for the first four weeks of life. Ocular infection developed slowly compared to cerebral infection. Even after four weeks, not all eyes were infected and ocular parasite load was low. Therefore, we evaluated a scheme of neonatal infection to overcome problems associated with congenital infection. Development of infection and physiopathology was similar, but at a higher, more reliable rate. In summary, we have established a valuable model of neonatal ocular toxoplasmosis, which facilitates the research of the underlying physiopathological mechanisms and new diagnostic approaches of this pathology.

PMID: 19755119 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]