epiglucan and Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a neuroinvasive parasite causing neuroinflammation, which in turn is associated with a higher risk for several psycho-behavioral disorders. There is an urgent need to identify drugs capable of improving cognitive deficits induced by T. gondii infection. β-Glucan, an active ingredient in mushrooms, could significantly enhance immunity. However, the effects of β-glucan against neuroinflammation and cognitive decline induced by T. gondii infection remain unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of β-glucan on goal-directed behavior of mice chronically infected by T. gondii Wh6 strain.. A mice model of chronic T. gondii Wh6 infection was established by infecting mice by oral gavage with 10 cysts of T. gondii Wh6. Intraperitoneal injection of β-glucan was manipulated 2 weeks before T. gondii infection. Performance of the infected mice on the Y-maze test and temporal order memory (TOM) test was used to assess the goal-directed behavior. Golgi-Cox staining, transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, real-time PCR and western blot assays were used to detect prefrontal cortex-associated pathological change and neuroinflammation.. The administration of β-glucan significantly prevented T. gondii Wh6-induced goal-directed behavioral impairment as assessed behaviorally by the Y-maze test and TOM test. In the prefrontal cortex, β-glucan was able to counter T. gondii Wh6-induced degeneration of neurites, impairment of synaptic ultrastructure and decrease of pre- and postsynaptic protein levels. Also, β-glucan significantly prevented the hyperactivation of pro-inflammatory microglia and astrocytes, as well as the upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines caused by chronic T. gondii Wh6 infection.. This study revealed that β-glucan prevents goal-directed behavioral impairment induced by chronic T. gondii infection in mice. These findings suggest that β-glucan may be an effective drug candidate to prevent T. gondii-associated psycho-behavioral disorders including goal-directed behavioral injury.

Topics: Animals; beta-Glucans; Goals; Mice; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis

Chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection has been revealed to be a risk factor for neuropsychiatric diseases, including anxiety. However, there is no intervention strategy. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of β-glucan on T. gondii Wh6 strain-induced anxiety-like behavior in mice. The anxiety mouse model was established by infection with 10 cysts of the T. gondii Wh6 strain. β-Glucan was intraperitoneally administered 2 weeks before infection. Open field and elevated plus maze tests were performed to assess anxiety-like behavior. In the open field test, Wh6-infected mice spent less time in the central zone and had fewer entries into the central zone. In the elevated plus maze test, the infection reduced the frequency and time of head entries in the open arms. These results showed that Wh6 causes anxiety-like behavior in mice. Interestingly, the administration of β-glucan significantly ameliorated anxiety-like behavioral performance. The present study shows that β-glucan can alleviate the anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic T. gondii infection in mice, which indicates that β-glucan may be a potential drug candidate for treating T. gondii-related mental disorders, including anxiety.

Topics: Animals; Anxiety; beta-Glucans; Disease Models, Animal; Mice; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis, Animal

Topics: Adjuvants, Vaccine; Aluminum Hydroxide; Animals; beta-Glucans; Dendritic Cells; Fungal Polysaccharides; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Humoral; Lipid A; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Nanocomposites; Phagocytes; Protozoan Vaccines; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Tissue Extracts; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis