TOXOPLASMOSIS: MORPHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SPINAL CORD NEUROGLIA FROM NONSYMPTOMATIC SEROPOSITIVE DOGS

Abstract

This work aimed to analyze the morphology of the cells that make up neuroglia in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord of asymptomatic dogs seropositive for toxoplasmosis. 20 adult mongrel dogs were used, of which ten had negative serology for toxoplasmosis, used as controls (group 1) and ten were asymptomatic, but seropositive for toxoplasmosis (group 2). After semi-serial microtomy, the histological sections were stained using hematoxylin-eosin (HE), Masson's trichrome (TM), silver impregnation and the indirect immunoenzymatic method of Peroxidase Antiperoxidase (PAP). The slides were analyzed using optical microscopy to verify the morphology of these cells. The morphological characteristics between the two groups were similar and in accordance with classical literature. Thus, it was concluded that toxoplasmosis does not cause morphological changes, visible under optical microscopy, in the neuroglia of the spinal cord of asymptomatic seropositive dogs.