Original Article
Therapeutic effect of artesunate on acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice
Zhong Qiuting, Zhao Ziqi, Song Jianping, Lyu Fangli
Published 2022-05-20
Cite as Chin J Endemiol, 2022, 41(5): 345-350. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn231583-20220223-00042
Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of artesunate on mice with acute Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection.
MethodsBased on body weight (16 - 18 g), sixty-four C57BL/6 female mice aged 6 - 8 weeks were divided into 4 groups by random number table method: uninfected control group without treatment; T. gondii-infected group (Tg group), each mouse was intraperitoneally (i.p.) infected with 100 tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain; T. gondii-infected + artesunate treatment group (Tg + ART group), 3 hours after each mouse i.p. infected with 100 tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain, artesunate solution was i.p. injected at a dose of 30 mg/kg, once a day for a total of 7 consecutive days; T. gondii-infected + sulfadiazine treatment group (Tg + SDZ group), 3 hours after each mouse i.p. infected with 100 tachyzoites of T. gondii RH strain, sulfadiazine solution was orally administrated at a dose of 100 mg/kg, once a day for a total of 7 consecutive days. There were 16 mice in each group, in which 10 mice were used to observe survival time and 6 mice were used to monitor body weight and collect tissue samples. Mice were weighed every day from day 1 post infection (p.i.); mice were sacrificed at day 7 p.i., the liver weights of mice were weighed and the liver indexes were calculated; liver tissues were paraffin-embedded, sectioned, and stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE), and the pathological changes of liver tissues of mice in each group were observed under a light microscope. The expression levels of T. gondii major surface antigen 1 (SAG1) in the liver tissues of mice in each group were detected by real-time quantitative PCR for evaluating parasite load.
ResultsAll mice in the uninfected control group were survived. The survival time was 7 - 9 days in Tg group, 8 - 11 days in Tg + ART group, and 9 - 13 days in Tg + SDZ group. Compared with Tg group, the survival times of mice in Tg + ART group and Tg + SDZ group were significantly longer (P < 0.05). On day 7 p.i., compared with uninfected control group, Tg + ART group or Tg + SDZ group, the body weight of mice in Tg group was lower (P < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference of body weight in Tg + ART group and Tg + SDZ group compared with uninfected control group (P > 0.05). Compared with Tg group, Tg + ART group and Tg + SDZ group had lower liver indexes and SAG1 mRNA expression levels in the liver tissues (P < 0.05 or < 0.001), and liver histopathological changes were milder. Compared with Tg + SDZ group, there was no significant difference in both liver index and SAG1 mRNA expression level in the liver tissue of Tg + ART group (P > 0.05).
ConclusionArtesunate solution i.p. injection can prolong the survival time, reduce parasite load in the liver, and attenuate hepatic pathological damage, to a certain extent, of mice with acute T. gondii infection.
Key words:
Toxoplasma gondii; Artesunate; Mice; Liver; Pathology
Contributor Information
Zhong Qiuting
Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
Zhao Ziqi
Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
Song Jianping
Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
Lyu Fangli
Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China
Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
