Experimental toxoplasmosis in mice: II clinicopathological studies

ABSTRACT

Toxoplasma gondii was inoculated intraperitoneally into one hundred mice divided into 4 equal groups. Those were given 100,000 50,000, 25,000 and 12,500 trophozoites. Mice given 100,000 trophozoites died after 2-3 days of infection. The other groups, showed highly significant drops in erythrocyte count, haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volumes progressively, until these reached their lowest values on the last 5-7 days post infection. The mean corpuscule volumes, the mean corpuscule haemoglobins and the mean corpuscule haemoglobin concentrations were normal. Total leucocyte counts dropped progressively until they reached their lowest values on the last day. The percentage of neutrophils were highly increased, while the percentages of lymphocytes were decreased and reached their lowest values on the last day. Serum alanine aminotransferase showed a highly significant increase. Total proteins significantly decreased; while albumin as well as the albumin-globulin ratio were decreased to a highly significant extent. Both creatinine and urea were greatly increased