TY - CHAP
T1 - Behavioral Changes Induced by Latent Toxoplasmosis Could Arise from CNS Inflammation and Neuropathogenesis
AU - Xiao, Jianchun
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii, a neurotropic parasite, has been linked to multiple behavioral changes in rodents and humans. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying these correlations are not known. I discuss here from animal studies the distribution of tissue cysts, the constant immune surveillance, the critical role of cyst burden, and the time-dependent consequences, which I believe are crucial to explaining the behavioral changes. In line with the brain-wide distribution of tissue cysts and chronic neuroinflammation, infected mice displayed a broad range of behavioral phenotypes. Many studies suggest that behavioral changes in mice are directly associated with tissue cyst presence or cyst burden and the host immune response. Cyst burden may not exert direct effects; however, the mechanisms causing behavioral and neuropathological changes are potentially the consequence of cyst burden over time, such as the neuroinflammation required to control the reactivation of tissue cysts. The reduction of neuroinflammation has proven that neuropathogenesis and behavioral abnormalities can be reversed, at least partially, in infected mice. Overall, Toxoplasma-induced behavioral changes are likely to be an indirect consequence of the host immune response in a parasite burden-dependent manner.
AB - Chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii, a neurotropic parasite, has been linked to multiple behavioral changes in rodents and humans. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying these correlations are not known. I discuss here from animal studies the distribution of tissue cysts, the constant immune surveillance, the critical role of cyst burden, and the time-dependent consequences, which I believe are crucial to explaining the behavioral changes. In line with the brain-wide distribution of tissue cysts and chronic neuroinflammation, infected mice displayed a broad range of behavioral phenotypes. Many studies suggest that behavioral changes in mice are directly associated with tissue cyst presence or cyst burden and the host immune response. Cyst burden may not exert direct effects; however, the mechanisms causing behavioral and neuropathological changes are potentially the consequence of cyst burden over time, such as the neuroinflammation required to control the reactivation of tissue cysts. The reduction of neuroinflammation has proven that neuropathogenesis and behavioral abnormalities can be reversed, at least partially, in infected mice. Overall, Toxoplasma-induced behavioral changes are likely to be an indirect consequence of the host immune response in a parasite burden-dependent manner.
KW - Behavioral changes
KW - Mechanisms
KW - Neuroinflammation
KW - Neuropathogenesis
KW - Tissue cyst
KW - Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii)
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U2 - 10.1007/7854_2022_370
DO - 10.1007/7854_2022_370
M3 - Chapter
C2 - 35676595
AN - SCOPUS:85148678365
T3 - Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
SP - 303
EP - 313
BT - Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
ER -