Toxoplasma gondii as a Model of In Vivo Host-Parasite Interactions

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular, apicomplexan parasite of great importance in both human and animal health. Current research has identified a variety of important and necessary factors specific to the parasite that enable it to infect and persist in a wide array of mammalian hosts. However, in order to continue to build our understanding of T. gondii pathogenesis, the relevance of these parasite characteristics needs continued investigation in animal models. In the following chapter, we present a model of intraperitoneal infection of C57BL/6 mice with T. gondii tachyzoites that, in C57BL/6 mice, elicits a strong acute immune response. Moreover, we present methods for sampling and analyzing peritoneal and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids in order to assess localized and systemic immune reactions to the parasite.

Keywords: Bronchoalveolar lavage; Cyst; Cytokine; Immune system; Inflammation; Lung harvest; Mouse models; Peritoneal lavage; Tachyzoite; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis.