Immune response in mice infected by Encephalitozoon cuniculi and suppressed by dexamethasone

Valenčáková, Alexandra; Halánová, Monika; Bálent, P.; Jamborová, Erika; Lesník, F; Neuschl, F.; Páleník, Ľubomír; Čisláková, L.

doi:10.1556/avet.52.2004.1.7

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The clinical signs observed only in mice treated with dexamethasone confirm its immunosuppressive action. Similar changes were found by Valenčáková et al. (2004) after the application of dexamethasone in mice.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Diagnosis and Manifestation of Encephalitozoonosis in Mice after Experimental Infection with Different Species and Application of Dexamethasone

Herich

Levkutová

Kokinčáková

et al. 2006

Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A

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Twenty-eight BALB/c mice were infected with different strains of Encephalitozoon species (Encephalitozoon cuniculi II - mouse type, E. cuniculi III - dog type, Encephalitozoon hellem, Encephalitozoon intestinalis). Five of them were infected with E. cuniculi II (mouse type) and simultaneously immunosuppressed with dexamethasone. Clinical signs of encephalitozoonosis were not remarkable. Ascites was found in two mice of dexamethasone-treated group 14 days post-infection (p.i.). The histopathological changes were found mainly in spleen and liver in the form of lymphoepithelioid granuloma. Spores were found in faeces since day 14 p.i. and visualized by Calcoflour White M2R. After cultivation on cellular cultures (VERO E6 - monkey kidney cells, RK-13 - rabbit kidney fibroblasts), the species differentiation was performed by PCR using panmicrosporidial primers (PMP1, PMP2) and specific primers (ECUN-F, ECUN-R, V1, SI-500). The differences were recorded in the immune response of immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice. At day 60 p.i., the titres of specific antibodies measured by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test were lower (1:4096) in dexamethasone-treated mice when compared with non-immunosuppressed animals (1:8196). The significant increases of antibody titres were recorded in particular infected groups within the experiment (P < 0.01 between day 14 p.i. and day 30 p.i., P < 0.001 between day 14 p.i. and day 60 p.i.). Experimental encephalitozoonosis in non-immunosuppressed and immunosuppressed mice provides a useful model for the study of immune response and lesions associated with these protozoans.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Diagnosis and Manifestation of Encephalitozoonosis in Mice after Experimental Infection with Different Species and Application of Dexamethasone

Herich

Levkutová

Kokinčáková

et al. 2006

Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A

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“…For other parasites, no decrease of the intensity of the CW + signal was observed during the video acquisition time, in favor of the ability of parasites to maintain inside the microbicidal intracellular environment of EGFP + phagocytes. In favor of this hypothesis, Valencáková et al (2004) described altered functional properties of phagocytes collected from E. cuniculi infected mice, with decreased phagocytic activity. Related to this observation, the decrease of the CW + fluorescent signal observed for some spores could also be related to parasite development within phagocytes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A mouse ear skin model to study the dynamics of innate immune responses against the microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi

et al. 2023

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Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites related to fungi that cause severe infections in immunocompromised individuals. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a microsporidian species capable of infecting mammals, including human and rodents. In response to microsporidian infection, innate immune system serves as the first line of defense and allows a partial clearance of the parasite via the innate immune cells, namely macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells, and Natural Killer cells. According to the literature, microsporidia bypass this response in vitro by modulating the response of macrophages. In order to study host-parasites interactions in vivo, we developed a model using the mouse ear pinna in combination with an intravital imaging approach. Fluorescent E. cuniculi spores were inoculated into the skin tissue to follow for the first time in real time in an in vivo model the recruitment dynamics of EGFP + phagocytic cells in response to the parasite. The results show that parasites induce an important inflammatory recruitment of phagocytes, with alterations of their motility properties (speed, displacement length, straightness). This cellular response persists in the injection zone, with spores detected inside the phagocytes up to 72 h post-infection. Immunostainings performed on ear tissue cryosections evoke the presence of developing infectious foci from 5 days post-infection, in favor of parasite proliferation in this tissue. Overall, the newly set up mice ear pinna model will increase our understanding of the immunobiology of microsporidia and in particular, to know how they can bypass and hijack the host immune system of an immunocompetent or immunosuppressed host.

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“…Human pathogenic microsporidia are commonly considered to be pathogens with low virulence and infections caused by them are effectively regulated by the immune mechanisms, mainly by cellular immunity [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Microsporidia infect various types of host cells such as macrophages, histiocytes, epithelial cells (renal tubules, urinary tract, epithelial cells of the small intestine, conjunctiva and cornea, bile ducts and gall bladder, bronchi, nasal mucosa and uterus), endothelial cells of blood vessels and numerous other types of cells [ 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternatives in Molecular Diagnostics of Encephalitozoon and Enterocytozoon Infections

Valenčáková

Sučik

2020

JoF

Self Cite

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Microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogens that are currently considered to be most directly aligned with fungi. These fungal-related microbes cause infections in every major group of animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, and more recently, because of AIDS, they have been identified as significant opportunistic parasites in man. The Microsporidia are ubiquitous parasites in the animal kingdom but, until recently, they have maintained relative anonymity because of the specialized nature of pathology researchers. Diagnosis of microsporidia infection from stool examination is possible and has replaced biopsy as the initial diagnostic procedure in many laboratories. These staining techniques can be difficult, however, due to the small size of the spores. The specific identification of microsporidian species has classically depended on ultrastructural examination. With the cloning of the rRNA genes from the human pathogenic microsporidia it has been possible to apply polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques for the diagnosis of microsporidial infection at the species and genotype level. The absence of genetic techniques for manipulating microsporidia and their complicated diagnosis hampered research. This study should provide basic insights into the development of diagnostics and the pitfalls of molecular identification of these ubiquitous intracellular pathogens that can be integrated into studies aimed at treating or controlling microsporidiosis.

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Immune response in mice infected by Encephalitozoon cuniculi and suppressed by dexamethasone

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

Diagnosis and Manifestation of Encephalitozoonosis in Mice after Experimental Infection with Different Species and Application of Dexamethasone

Diagnosis and Manifestation of Encephalitozoonosis in Mice after Experimental Infection with Different Species and Application of Dexamethasone

A mouse ear skin model to study the dynamics of innate immune responses against the microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi

Alternatives in Molecular Diagnostics of Encephalitozoon and Enterocytozoon Infections

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