Viability of Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle & Manceaux, 1909) in bovine semen cryopreserved in DMSO used in artificial insemination

• Grant number: 14/09052-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2014
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Alvimar José da Costa
• Grantee: João Henrique Barbosa Toscano
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis of cosmopolitan character, having importance in veterinary and human medicine for its capability to cause, between other disorders, abortions and congenital diseases. One of its infection routes for cattle, confirmed a few years ago, is the sexual (semen). Knowing this and with the increase of artificial insemination (AI) in Brazil, the present study intend to evaluate the maintenance, survival and infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii in bovine semen, cryopreserved in DMSO and frozen in liquid nitrogen (-196°C). For that, semen samples will be collected, containated with the parasite's tachyzoite ("RH" strain), cryopreserved in DMSO, with different concentrations, and frozen in liquid nitrogen, just like the biotech utilized for the storage of semen used in AI. Subsequently, the samples will be inoculated mouses (bioassay). Of those, blood samples will be subjected to indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test to confirm the infectivity of the utilized semen. The experimental data will be analyzed using the SAS statistical program.The results of this experiment may have economic consequences in the AI biotech and hence the spread of toxoplasmosis, most widespread zoonosis in the world.