Bax-induced apoptosis not demonstrated in the congenital toxoplasmosis in mice

A prominent neuropathological change observed in a murine model of congenit al toxoplasmosis is cerebral cortical hypoplasia. In the early embryonic li fe of toxoplasmosis mice, the number of apoptotic cell observed in cerebral cortex is increased, indicating that increased number of apoptotic cells m ight relate to the pathogenetic mechanism of the cortical hypoplasia. Immun ohistochemical expression of apoptosis-related factors, Bcl-2 and Bax has b een studied in fetal murine brains infected with toxoplasma and in controls . Paraffin sections of the fetal brains on embryonic day (ED) 10, 12, 14, 1 6 and 18 were applied for the immunostains of Bcl-2 and Bax. Totally, 47 ex perimental animals (ED10: n = 8, ED12: n = 6, ED14: n = 12, ED16: n = 6, ED 18: n = 15) and 48 control animals (ED10: n = 6, ED12:, n = 8, ED14: n = 9, ED16: n = 9, ED18: n = 16) were examined. Bcl-2 positive cells were detect ed on ED10, whereas Bax positive cells appeared on ED14. No difference of B cl-2 and Bax expression between toxoplasmosis and control groups was detect ed, suggesting that there is no clear relation between Bax-induced apoptosi s and cortical dysplasia in congenital toxoplasmosis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.