Toxoplasma gondii induced cognitive impairment in rats via dysregulation of dopamine receptors and indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase
Mohammed Nasiru Wana,
Malaika Watanabe,
Samaila Musa Chiroma,
Ngah Zasmy Unyah,
Sharif Alhassan Abdullahi,
Shariza Nordin,
Rusliza Basir,
Mohamad Aris Mohd Moklas,
Roslaini Abd Majid
Affiliations
Mohammed Nasiru Wana
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Nigeria
Malaika Watanabe
Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Samaila Musa Chiroma
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria; Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NuMed) No 1, Jalan Sarjana 1,Kota Ilmu, EduCity@Iskandar,79200 Iskandar Puteri (formerly Nusajaya) Johor-Malaysia
Ngah Zasmy Unyah
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Sharif Alhassan Abdullahi
Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
Shariza Nordin
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Rusliza Basir
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Mohamad Aris Mohd Moklas
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; Corresponding author.
Roslaini Abd Majid
Department of Pre-Clinical, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kem Sungai Besi, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Corresponding author.
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a parasite capable of residing in the brain of their host which influences behaviour changes due to alterations in the neurotransmitters. Consequently, dopamine receptors (DRD) and indoleamine 2, 3 dioxygenase (IDO) dysregulation facilitate the progression of behaviour changes in a host as a response to infection. This study tested the effect of neurotransmitter changes as a result of T. gondii infection on rats cognitive impairment. The T. gondii strain of type I, II and III from Malaysia were previously identified by standard procedures. Sporulated oocysts each of type I, II and III were inoculated separately into three groups of Wistar rats (n = 9) respectively. Two separate control groups received either phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or MK-801 (dizocilpine). Behaviour changes were evaluated at nine weeks post infection in a square box, elevated plus maze and gene expression level of DRD and IDO compounds. The study revealed increased fatal feline attraction, reduced anxiety, decreased DRD and increased IDO gene expression in the T. gondii infected groups and MK-801 compared to the PBS control group. In conclusion, T. gondii infection alter the level of neurotransmitters in rat which cause cognitive impairment. This implies that all the T. gondii strain can cause behaviour changes if human were infected.
