Assessing the therapeutic potential of silicon dioxide nanoparticles in acute and chronic toxoplasmosis in BALB/c mice

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, represents a significant global health concern, particularly for immunocompromised individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) against both acute (T. gondii RH strain) and chronic (T. gondii PRU strain) infections in BALB/c mice. In the acute infection model, mice (n = 40) were infected with 10⁴ T. gondii tachyzoites, while the chronic infection model (n = 40) involved the injection of 50 active cysts. Mice were treated with SiO2-NPs or pyrimethamine. Evaluations of parasite load and histopathological changes were conducted. The results showed that SiO2-NPs significantly reduced the number of cysts in the brain, indicating their effectiveness in controlling T. gondii proliferation. In cases of acute infection, there was a statistically significant decrease in parasite load (p < 0.01). Although there was no significant difference between the pyrimethamine and SiO2-NPs groups (p > 0.05), nanoparticles exhibited greater efficacy than pyrimethamine in acute infection. Furthermore, histopathological analysis revealed that mice were treated with SiO2-NPs displayed less severe lesions compared to the positive control group. The findings suggest that SiO2-NPs may offer a dual therapeutic advantage by reducing parasite load while also mitigating tissue damage. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms behind the effectiveness of SiO2-NPs and to assess their long-term effects on T. gondii infections.