Toxoplasma gondii infection lower anxiety as measured in the plus-maze and social interaction tests in rats A behavioral analysis.

摘要: It has been suggested that the parasite Toxoplasma gondii reduces fear of rodents toward their feline predators, which may lead to an augmented rate predation and multiplication through increased number life cycles. To investigate whether T. infection induces selective effects on behavior associated with anxiety, Wistar rats were inoculated i.p. several doses tachyzoites tested in two animal tests anxiety. In third week following inoculation, infected 100 1000 plus-maze open arm exploration a dose-related manner. However, no effect was detected either social interaction levels or motor activity measures. seventh after showed investigation without change any higher dose (1500 tachyzoites) drop locomotion. These data support hypothesis impairs mechanism warning as function reduced The pattern brain colonization by host immune response suggests predominant invasion limbic areas works natural anxiolytic mechanism.