Morphological Analysis of Sexual Dimorphism in an Experimental Model of Extraparenchymal Neurocysticercosis-Induced Hydrocephalus in Rats

• Grant number: 24/19907-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Tadao Hamamoto Filho
• Grantee: João Pedro Craco Lorentz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/03042-5 - Characterization of the inflammatory response in an experimental model of Extraparenchymal Neurocysticercosis, AP.PNGP.PI

Abstract

Neurocysticercosis is the most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system, resulting from the cerebral infestation of larvae from Taenia solium, acquired through the ingestion of water or food contaminated with the parasite's eggs. This disease remains endemic in various regions of Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, and has also been reintroduced in countries such as the USA and Europe due to migration flows and travel-related exposure. The clinical manifestations of neurocysticercosis vary depending on the location and number of cysts. The extraparenchymal form, which affects the ventricles and subarachnoid space, can lead to serious complications such as meningitis and hydrocephalus, making treatment more challenging. The disease exhibits significant heterogeneity among populations, including differences between sexes, and its inflammatory and endocrinological mechanisms still require further clarification. There is considerable difficulty in describing intracranial inflammation in humans in vivo. Therefore, in order to study it, a model of extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis has been developed in rats through the subarachnoid inoculation of Taenia crassiceps cysts, which reproduces various radiological and morphological aspects of the disease in humans. This project aims to investigate sexual dimorphism in the presentation of hydrocephalus in rats inoculated with cysts in the subarachnoid region. Morphological analysis will be conducted by measuring ventricular area and the thickness of the corpus callosum, correlating these data with magnetic resonance imaging.