Placentitis and Determination of Alpha-fetoprotein in the Serum of a Rats Infected with Experimental Toxoplasmosis
Keywords:
toxoplasmosis, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), placentitisAbstract
Toxoplasma gondii is the cause of toxoplasmosis, which can be congenital or acquired. The parasite is an obligate intracellular protozoan It represents one of the most common parasites among population groups. It is thought because vertical transmission of a T. gondii infection from a woman having systemic infection to the fetus causes congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). According to age-adjusted statistics from a recent French study, approximately 31% of pregnant women have antibodies against T. gondii. The current study included the isolation of the T. gondii parasite from placenta samples of aborted women infected with Toxoplasma who visited Bint Al-Huda teaching hospital in Thi-Qar province of southern Iraq. After confirming the presence of the parasite stages in those samples, 0.3 ml of the parasite suspension was injected into the peritoneum of female white rats (Rattus norvegicus). The animals were divided into two groups, an uninfected group as a control group that was given Normal Slaine solution, and a second group infected with the toxoplasma parasite, rats were placed for mating, and after confirming pregnancy and determining the first day of pregnancy, they were killed by ether and explained in the last trimester of pregnancy for gross and histological examinations. In contrast with pregnant rats given via saline, toxoplasmosis led to Elevated alpha-fetoprotein in mother serum levels and placental inflammatory, high levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) were linked to adverse pregnancy results, that resulted in malformed and sometimes congenital fetuses. High (AFP) is associated with the occurrence of weak and deformed births. It was noted in our current study that placental inflammation resulting from toxoplasmosis may have led to high levels of alpha-fetoprotein in the mother’s serum. Our current study may be a model for other future studies to shed more light on the damage resulting from infection with the toxoplasmosis.
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