Gene expression of GMF-β, SDF-1, and MMP-9 in Toxoplasma gondii-infected mice | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Medical Microbiology | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 04 October 2025 | ||
| Document Type: New and original researches in the field of Microbiology. | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejmm.2025.424385.1876 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Hadaya M. Mohamed* ; Ali M. Abed | ||
| Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Tikrit, Tikrit, Iraq | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a globally prevalent parasite capable of invading the central nervous system and contributing to neuropathological changes. This study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of glia maturation factor-β (GMF-β), stromal cell–derived factor-1 (SDF-1), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in experimentally infected mice. Methods: Forty-two BALB/c mice were divided into infected and control groups. Chronic toxoplasmosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of T. gondii tissue cysts. After 40 days, blood samples were collected, total RNA was extracted, and cDNA synthesized. Gene expression was quantified by qRT-PCR using the 2^-ΔΔCT method, with 18S rRNA as the reference gene. Results: Expression of GMF-β, SDF-1, and MMP-9 was significantly upregulated in infected mice compared with controls (P ≤ 0.0033, P ≤ 0.0001, and P ≤ 0.0001, respectively). GMF-β increased from 1.37 ± 0.36 to 3.34 ± 0.51, SDF-1 from 1.59 ± 0.36 to 4.78 ± 0.62, and MMP-9 from 1.80 ± 0.38 to 4.87 ± 0.55. Conclusion: The co-upregulation of GMF-β, SDF-1, and MMP-9 indicates their potential role in neuroinflammation and blood–brain barrier disruption during chronic toxoplasmosis. These molecules may serve as biomarkers of brain injury and targets for therapeutic intervention. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Toxoplasma gondii; MMP-9; mice | ||
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