Histopathological Changes Associated with Experimental Infection of Arcobacter butzleri in Albino Rats

Abstract

Arcobacters are emerging food borne pathogens potentially associated with prolonged diarrhoea and occasional systemic infections but the pathogenic mechanisms of these bacteria are largely unknown. This study was designed to investigate the pathogenicity of Arcobacter isolates. Two strains of A. butzleri isolated from stool of healthy chickens were confirmed with real time PCR and tested on albino rat by giving a single oral challenge of 10 9 cfu/ml to 65 healthy adult male rats. Five (5) uninfected animals were used as control. Diarrheoal illness occurred in all rats from the fifth day and resolved from day 21 post infection, severe histopathological lesion such as hepatic necrosis, villous erosion, desquamation, matting and necrosis of the segments of small intestine was also observed. In this study, the toxic ileitis necrosis pattern of pathology in the gut of experimentally infected rats could be an indication of observed persistent watery diarrhea associated with the clinical presentation of Arcobacter infection in humans. The pathology of A. butzleri in albino rats had not been previously described, and it appears that the present study is the first report in Nigeria. It may therefore be useful for further investigation.

Histopathological findings and immunohistochemical distribution of bacterial antigen in Balb/c mice experimentally infected with Arcobacter butzleri

“…The isolation of A. butzleri in tissue samples from mice with diarrhea, and the determination of colitis with histopathological examination similar to the Campylobacter infections (6, 8, 16) might suggest that the agent colonize and invade to the intestine in PO group as well as to the intestine and the visceral organs in IP group. Severe histopathological lesion such as villous erosion, desquamation, matting and necrosis of the segments of small intestine observed by Adesiji et al (2) was also observed in the presented study. In some cases in IP and IMG groups remarkable findings were diffuse abscess and cellulitis.…”

“…Diarrhea a significant decrease in body temperature and severe tremors were observed as reported in previous studies (2,3). The isolation of the agent until the 5 th days of pi was consistent with the results of Adesiji et al (2). The isolation of A. butzleri in tissue samples from mice with diarrhea, and the determination of colitis with histopathological examination similar to the Campylobacter infections (6, 8, 16) might suggest that the agent colonize and invade to the intestine in PO group as well as to the intestine and the visceral organs in IP group.…”

“…In a rat study of Adesiji et al (2), two strains of A. butzleri isolated from stool of healthy chickens were tested on albino rat by giving a single oral challenge of 10 9 CFU/mL to adult male rats, and diarrhea occurred in all rats from the 5th day post infection, In this study, similar clinical signs were detected in all groups, but they were evident especially in mice infected with intraperitoneal and mammary gland routes which was confirmed with the pathological findings. Diarrhea a significant decrease in body temperature and severe tremors were observed as reported in previous studies (2,3). The isolation of the agent until the 5 th days of pi was consistent with the results of Adesiji et al (2).…”

“…Arcobacter species, which are morphologically similar to Campylobacter species but differ from Campylobacter species in terms of their growth characteristics (16), have been isolated from several diseases in human (22,25,29) and in animals (15,23,24,28). However, knowledge on the pathogenicity of Arcobacter is still very limited (2,3,13,14,16). Therefore, in this study, tissue colonization and pathogenicity of A. butzleri in BALB/c mice inoculated by peroral, intraperitoneal and intramammary routes were determined.…”

“…A few studies were reported in experimental animals such as rat, but in these studies infections were induced solely by oral route or through testicles. In the study conducted by Adesiji et al (2), in which healthy adult male albino rats were infected with solely a single oral challenge of A. butzleri isolated from stool of healthy chicken, severe histopathological lesions in small intestine was reported. In another experimental study of Adesiji et al 3, inoculation of A. butzleri that was isolated from pig into the testicles of albino rats resulted in degeneration in the testicles.…”