Neospora caninum: Early immune response of rat mixed glial cultures after tachyzoites infection

• Published in: Experimental parasitology 2010-04, Vol.124 (4), p.442-447
• Main Authors: Pinheiro, A.M., Costa, S.L., Freire, S.M., Ribeiro, C.S.O., Tardy, M., El-Bachá, R.S., Costa, M.F.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abortion; Animals; astrocytes; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Western; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral Cortex - cytology; CNS; Cytokines; Cytokines - analysis; Cytokines - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immune response; Immunohistochemistry; infection; Interferon-gamma - analysis; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; interleukin-10; Interleukin-10 - analysis; Interleukin-10 - metabolism; interleukin-6; Interleukin-6 - analysis; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis; Neospora - immunology; Neospora - physiology; Neospora caninum; neosporosis; neuroglia; Neuroglia - enzymology; Neuroglia - immunology; Neuroglia - parasitology; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Protozoa; Rats; tachyzoites; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2009.12.018

Neospora caninum causes neurologic disease in dogs and abortion in cattle. Little is known about the immune response of the CNS against this protozoan. The aim of this study was to evaluate production of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and NO in rat mixed glial cell cultures infected by N. caninum. IFN-γ was not observed. The mean cytokine released after 24 and 72 h of infection were 3.8 ± 0.6 and 3.7 ± 0.6 pg TNF-α/mg protein and 2.7 ± 0.69 and 4.1 ± 0.64 pg IL-10/mg protein, respectively, and more than 8.0 pg IL-6/mg protein for both time points. NO levels increased 24 h post-infection (2.3 ± 0.8 pg/mg protein) until 72 h (4.2 ± 1.1 pg/mg protein) and the number of tachyzoites reduced with the time. Our results show high levels of regulatory cytokines that may suppress the harmful effects of IFN-γ; high levels of TNF-α and NO may represent an effective response by infected glial cells against N. caninum.