Efeito do probiótico Saccharomyces boulardii sobre a transmissão vertical em camundongos com toxocaríase

Abstract

Human toxocariasis is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis, with underestimated prevalence and characterized by complex diagnosis, treatment, and control. These aspects justify the search for new supportive alternatives to control this tissue helminthiasis. In this sense, experimental models have shown the potential of probiotic agents in reducing the intensity of infections with Toxocara canis larvae. Therefore, studying the effect of probiotics in vertical transmission is also relevant, as this type of transmission is essential in definitive hosts and has been shown in humans. This study aims at assessing the effect of Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic on the vertical transmission of Toxocara canis larvae in female mice inoculated during the last third of pregnancy. Two groups of eight female Swiss mice were formed. Females in Group 1 (G1) were fed with ration supplemented with S. boulardii probiotic, and females in G2 (control) were fed with ration without probiotic. The supply of ration for both groups started 15 days before mating, continued during pregnancy and was maintained until the 21st day of lactation. Experimental infection of females was given on day 14 of pregnancy, when 300 T. canis eggs were intragastrically inoculated. Lactating females and infants were euthanized on the 21st day of lactation. After necropsy, organs and skeletal striated muscle (carcass) were submitted to tissue digestion with 1% pepsin and 1% hydrochloric acid. Next, detection and quantification of larvae were performed on the material. Frequency of vertical transmission to the G1 offspring (probiotic) was 21.6% lower than in the G2 (control). In addition, the number of T. canis larvae recovered from G1 female mice offspring (probiotic) was 42.1%, which is significantly lower (p=.026) than the number of larvae recovered from G2 female offspring (control). It can be concluded that there was a beneficial effect of S. boulardii on the studied conditions, resulting in a reduction in the rate of vertical transmission of T. canis and confirming its potential in contributing to the control of visceral toxocariasis.