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Behavioural changes and muscle strength in Rattus norvegicus experimentally infected with Toxocara cati and T. canis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2014

S.V. Santos ,
J.V.L. Moura ,
S.A.Z. Lescano ,
J.M. Castro ,
M.C.S.A. Ribeiro  and
P.P. Chieffi
S.V. Santos*
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo - LIM 06, Avenida Doutor Eneias de Carvalho Aguiar, 450 - Cerqueira Cesar, São Paulo, SP05403-000, Brazil Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Rua Doutor Cesário Mota Jr., 61, Santa Cecília, São Paulo, SP01221-020, Brazil
J.V.L. Moura
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Rua Doutor Cesário Mota Jr., 61, Santa Cecília, São Paulo, SP01221-020, Brazil
S.A.Z. Lescano
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo - LIM 06, Avenida Doutor Eneias de Carvalho Aguiar, 450 - Cerqueira Cesar, São Paulo, SP05403-000, Brazil
J.M. Castro
Affiliation:
Prefeitura do Município de São Paulo/SUVIS/Vila Maria/Vila Guilherme, Avenida Guilherme, 82, Vila Guilherme, São Paulo, SP02053-000, Brazil
M.C.S.A. Ribeiro
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Rua Doutor Cesário Mota Jr., 61, Santa Cecília, São Paulo, SP01221-020, Brazil
P.P. Chieffi
Affiliation:
Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo - LIM 06, Avenida Doutor Eneias de Carvalho Aguiar, 450 - Cerqueira Cesar, São Paulo, SP05403-000, Brazil Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Rua Doutor Cesário Mota Jr., 61, Santa Cecília, São Paulo, SP01221-020, Brazil
*
* E-mail: sergio.bio@usp.br
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Abstract

Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are nematode parasites in dogs and cats, respectively, transmitted by ingestion of embryonated eggs, transmammary and transplacental (T. canis) routes and paratenic host predation. Many parasites use mechanisms that change the behaviour of their hosts to ensure continued transmission. Several researchers have demonstrated behavioural changes in mouse models as paratenic hosts for T. canis. However, there have been no studies on behavioural changes in laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) experimentally infected with T. cati. This study investigated behavioural changes and muscle strength in male and female rats experimentally infected with T. cati or T. canis in acute and chronic phases of infection. Regardless of sex, rats infected with T. cati showed a greater decrease in muscle strength 42 days post infection compared to rats infected with T. canis. However, behavioural changes were only observed in female rats infected with T. canis.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 89 , Issue 4 , July 2015 , pp. 465 - 470
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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