IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2903124
Open Access Original Research
Sexual Dimorphism in the Physiopathology and Immune Response during Acute Toxocara canis Infection
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1 Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico
2 Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico
3 Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 Ciudad de México, Mexico
*Correspondence: victordelrioa@fmvz.unam.mx (Víctor Hugo Del Río-Araiza); jmontor66@biomedicas.unam.mx (Jorge Morales-Montor)
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(3), 124; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2903124
Submitted: 17 October 2023 | Revised: 2 February 2024 | Accepted: 20 February 2024 | Published: 22 March 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Toxocara canis (T. canis) is a helminth parasite of zoonotic and veterinary health significance that causes the disease known as Toxocariasis. This disease has been associated with conditions of poverty, especially in tropical climate zones throughout the world. Although it rarely causes important clinical manifestations, T. canis can lead to blindness, meningoencephalitis, or other nervous manifestations in humans. Moreover, some studies show its importance in the development of tumor growth, which have been associated with the parasite’s ability to modulate the host’s immune response. While different studies have evaluated the immune response during this disease, currently, there are no studies where the infection is analyzed from the perspective of sexual dimorphism. Methods: To evaluate sex differences in susceptibility, we analyzed lesions and parasite loads in lung and liver at 7 days post-infection. In addition, immune cell subpopulations were analyzed in spleen, mesenteric and peripheral lymph nodes. Finally, the production of cytokines and specific antibodies were determined in the serum. Statical analyses were performed using a Two-way ANOVA and a post-hoc Bonferroni multiple comparison test. Results: Female rats had a higher number of larvae in the liver, while male rats had them in the lungs. The percentages of immune cells were evaluated, and in most cases, no significant differences were observed. Regarding the cytokines production, infection can generate a decrease in Th1 such as IL-1β in both sexes and IL-6 only in females. In the case of Th2, IL-4 increases only in infected males and IL-5 increases in males while decreasing in females due to the effect of infection. IL-10 also decreases in both sexes as a consequence of the infection, and TGF-β only in females. Finally, the infection generates the production of antibodies against the parasite, however, their quantity is lower in females. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that T. canis infection is dimorphic and affects females more than males. This is due to a polarization of the inadequate immune response, which is reflected as a higher parasite load in this sex.

Keywords
Toxocara canis
zoonoses
sex differences
paratenic host
larval migration
dimorphic cytokine production
Funding
IA-207023/PAPIIT-DGAPA-UNAM
IN-202723/PAPIIT-DGAPA-UNAM
IN-218720/PAPIIT-DGAPA-UNAM
Figures
Fig. 1.
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