Histological and Lectin Binding Changes in the Genital Tract of Mice Infected with Tritrichomonas foetus (original) (raw)
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Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2004
Heifers inoculated intra-vaginally with Tritrichomonas foetus were examined after long-term infection (70 days) and short-term infection (20 days) by lectin-histochemical, immunohistochemical and cultural techniques. The organism was recovered from the genital tract and T. foetus antigens were detected immunohistochemically in the lumina of uterine glands and cytoplasm of vaginal subepithelial macrophages. An increase of galactosylated residues (galactose and N-acetyl galactose), binding to PNA, was observed in the genital epithelium (vagina, uterus and oviduct) from infected animals. In the oviductal epithelium of short-but not long-term infected heifers, mannose (binding to Con A) was detected, suggesting that the persistent presence of T. foetus and its virulence factors or inflammatory processes result in a change in the glycoproteins of the epithelial surface. The findings have implications for the adhesion of T. foetus to cells and for the pathogenesis of bovine trichomonosis. q
Lectin Binding Pattern in the Uterus of Pregnant Mice Infected with Tritrichomonas foetus
Journal of Comparative Pathology, 2013
Bovine genital tritrichomonosis is caused by the protozoon Tritrichomonas foetus and leads to embryonic death and abortion. The complexity of handling bovine experimental systems has led to the development of alternative models. The infection has been reproduced in pregnant BALB/c mice. In the pathogenesis of the disease, adhesion of the protozoon to host cell surface glycoproteins is important. Labelling with soya bean agglutinin (SBA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA) lectins increases in the luminal and glandular uterine epithelium of nonpregnant infected mice. The aim of the present study was to determine whether these changes also occur in pregnant infected BALB/c mice. Female BALB/c mice were inoculated intravaginally with T. foetus and 15 AE 3 days post-infection, were paired with males overnight. Infected and control mice were sacrificed 6, 8 and 10 days later. Samples of uterus were labelled with a panel of biotinylated lectins. Infected mice showed increased binding of PNA and SBA. There was also increased binding of concanavalin (Con)-A by luminal epithelium and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA)-1 by glandular epithelium at day 6 post-coitum. These changes may be due to the production of enzymes by T. foetus, which could act to enhance adhesion and colonization favouring infection.
Interaction of Tritrichomonas foetus and the bovine oviduct in an organ culture model
Veterinary Parasitology, 2006
Tritrichomonas foetus is an extracellular parasite of the reproductive tract in cattle. The mechanism by which T. foetus causes abortion in cattle is largely unknown. There are no studies of infection in the cow oviducts, almost all published papers are related to vagina infection and few articles focusing on the uterus. The aim of the present study was to establish a working model of bovine oviduct epithelial cells and submit these cells to Tritrichomonas foetus interaction. Twenty bovine oviducts were obtained from cows at a commercial abattoir and T. foetus was injected through the isthmus into the oviduct lumen. The whole oviduct was analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results reported here demonstrate that: (1) fresh whole oviducts can be used as a good model to study parasite-host cell interaction; (2) cow oviduct epithelium has been shown to consist of two cell types: ciliated and nonciliated secretory cells, and T. foetus displayed great specificity for the nonciliated cells localized in the deeper oviduct folds; (3) T. foetus adheres as single separate cells, and maintains the flagella externalized; (4) differently from T. vaginalis, T. foetus does not change its shape during the adhesion process; and (5) oviduct cells exhibited morphological characteristics of apoptosis after trichomonadal interaction. #
Adhesion of Tritrichomonas foetus to bovine vaginal epithelial cells
Infection and immunity, 1999
An in vitro culture system of bovine vaginal epithelial cells (BVECs) was developed to study the cytopathogenic effects of Tritrichomonas foetus and the role of lipophosphoglycan (LPG)-like cell surface glycoconjugates in adhesion of parasites to host cells. Exposure of BVEC monolayers to T. foetus resulted in extensive damage of monolayers. Host cell disruption was measured quantitatively by a trypan blue exclusion assay and by release of (3)H from [(3)H]thymidine-labeled host cells. Results indicated contact-dependent cytotoxicity of host cells by T. foetus. The cytopathogenic effect was a function of T. foetus density. Metronidazole- or periodate-treated T. foetus showed no damage to BVEC monolayers. A related human trichomonad, Trichomonas vaginalis, showed no cytotoxic effects, indicating species-specific host-parasite interactions. A direct binding assay was developed and used to investigate the role of a major cell surface LPG-like molecule in host-parasite adhesion. The resu...
Experimentally induced intravaginal Tritrichomonas foetus infection in a mouse model
Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, 2005
Soto P., Echevarría H.M., Monteavaro C.E. & Catena M.C. 2005. [Experimentally induced Experimentally induced Experimentally induced Experimentally induced Experimentally induced intravaginal intravaginal intravaginal intravaginal intravaginal T T T T Tritrichomonas foetus ritrichomonas foetus ritrichomonas foetus ritrichomonas foetus ritrichomonas foetus infection in a mouse model infection in a mouse model infection in a mouse model infection in a mouse model infection in a mouse model.] Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 25(4):225-230. The interest to develop research on the host-parasite relationship in bovine tritrichomonosis has accomplished the use of experimental models alternative to cattle. The BALB/c mouse became the most appropriate species susceptible to vaginal Tritrichomonas foetus infection requiring previous estrogenization.
Immunohistochemical detection of Tritrichomonas foetus in experimentally infected mice
Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, 2000
T Tritrichomonas ritrichomonas ritrichomonas ritrichomonas ritrichomonas foetus foetus foetus foetus foetus em camundongos experimentalmente infectados.] em camundongos experimentalmente infectados.] em camundongos experimentalmente infectados.] em camundongos experimentalmente infectados.] em camundongos experimentalmente infectados.] A necessidade de aumentar o conhecimento da patogenia da tricomoníase genital bovina (BGT) conduziu ao uso de modelos experimentais alternativos como o camundongo. Não obstante, é necessário elucidar a dinâmica da infecção nesta espécie e avaliar as diferentes fases da colonização e evolução das alterações patológicas. A imunohistoquí-mica (IHQ) oferece vantagens sobre as técnicas histoquímicas de rotina para a observação do protozoário em tecidos, detritos celulares e dentro de macrófagos. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi demonstrar pelo uso de uma técnica de IHQ a presença de Tritrichomonas foetus no sistema reprodutivo de camundongos infectados. Camundongos BALB/c fêmeas foram infectados pela via intravaginal, com uma suspensão de T. foetus, na fase de estro, detectado com citologia exfoliativa vaginal. Depois de 10 semanas, os animais foram sacrificados; útero e vagina forma fixados e processados para histologia. Alguns cortes foram corados com HE. O restante dos cortes foi processado para IHQ. Foi usado um soro policlonal imunoadsorvido anti-T. foetus. A técnica de avidina-
Tritrichomonas foetus: Experimental infection in pregnant BALB/c mice
Experimental Parasitology, 2008
Bovine genital tritrichomonosis is a venereal disease produced by the flagellate Tritrichomonas foetus. The disease is characterized by the repetition of oestrus and infertility due to embryonic or foetal death. Numerous experimental rodent models have been developed, but none of them has been applied in pregnant females. In this work, we reproduced genital tritrichomonosis in pregnant BALB/c mice. The results were analysed considering the following pregnancy phases: early, middle and final. In the infected group, embryonic loss was significantly higher and occurred in the early and middle phases, in accordance with the time of embryo death in infected bovines. In infected animals at the early phase of pregnancy there was evidence of embryonic death without inflammatory changes in the uterus, suggesting a pathogenic mechanism that does not involve direct tissue damage. In the later days, conceptus loss was associated with endometritis and changes in the decidua.
American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 2012
Problem Bovine tritrichomonosis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Tritrichomonas foetus, characterized by conceptus loss. We developed a mouse model of tritrichomonosis to study the mechanisms involved in the embryonic death. We hypothesized that embryonic death may be due to an exacerbated maternal response to the pathogen that then affects embryo development. Method of study We infected BALB/c mice with Tritrichomonas foetus and paired them after confirming active infection. We studied the expression of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines, markers for T regulatory and T helper 17 cells as well as haem-oxygenase-1 expression in uterine tissue by realtime RT-PCR. Results As expected, TNF-a was augmented in infected animals. IL-10 and IL-4 were also up-regulated. Treg-associated genes were higher expressed in uteri of infected group. In mice that have lost their conceptus after the infection, haem-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA levels were strongly decreased, while RORct mRNA, a reliable marker for Th17, was augmented in uterus. Conclusion A T effector response of type 1 and 17 may be involved in tritrichomonosis-related embryonic death. This alters protective mechanisms as HO-1. Increased regulatory T cells may facilitate embryonic death by promoting the persistence of infection.
Advances in Infectious Diseases, 2015
Trichomoniasis is most common sexually transmitted disease caused by T. vaginalis. The clinical manifestation varies from severe manifestation to asymptomatic condition. However, the exact virulence markers led to varied symptomatology was not well clarified. The role of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in the pathogenesis of many parasitic diseases has been reported. The present study reports the leukotriene B4 levels on different days post infection (3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th d.p.i.) in serum and vaginal washes (VWs) and vaginal tissues of mice infected intravaginally with T. vaginalis isolates from 10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic women. A significant increase in LTB4 was observed on the 3rd to 28th d.p.i. in serum and VWs of mice infected with T. vaginalis isolates from asymptomatic as compared to symptomatic women. The present study also reports the histopathological changes of the posterior vaginal fornix's and upper portion of the vagina of mice infected intravaginally with T. vaginalis isolates from 10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic women. The results show that there are no significant differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic isolates regarding histopathological changes.