Hypertrophy of NADH-diaphorase positive myenteric neurons in rat jejunum after acute infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasmosis,a globally distributed feline-associated zoonosis caused by the protozoan toxoplasma gondii,affects birds and mammals,including humans. this study assesses the consequences of acute t. gondii infection for nadh-diaphorase positive myenteric neurons in rat jejunum. ten male wistar rats (rattus norvegicus) were divided into two groups: g1 (n = 5) and g2 (n = 5). animals from g2 were orally inoculated with 500 genotype iii (m7741) t. gondii oocysts. twenty-four hours after inoculation,the animals were euthanized and had their jejuna removed,through laparotomy,and measured (length and width) to calculate their areas. intestinal segments were submitted to nadh-diaphorase histochemistry to evidence the most metabolically active subpopulation of myenteric neurons. no changes were found in body weight; intestinal length,width or area; or neuron population density. increase of body cell area and cytoplasm and decrease of nuclear area of the myenteric neurons of infected animals were observed by morphometric analysis.