Related Experiment Videos
Pasteurella multocida infection in heterophil-depleted chickens
Anders M Bojesen1, Kamille D Petersen, Ole L Nielsen
1Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Avian Diseases
|November 9, 2004
Summary
Heterophil granulocytes initially worsen Pasteurella multocida lung lesions in chickens but later help clear the bacteria. This dual role highlights heterophil activation
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Immunology
- Avian Pathology
- Bacterial Infections
Background:
- Pasteurella multocida subsp. multocida causes significant respiratory disease in chickens.
- Heterophil granulocytes are key immune cells in avian innate immunity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of heterophil granulocytes in the early stages of Pasteurella multocida infection in chickens.
- To understand how heterophils influence lung lesions and bacterial dissemination.
Main Methods:
- Chickens were treated with 5-fluorouracil to deplete heterophil granulocytes.
- Birds were inoculated intratracheally with P. multocida.
- Lesions, bacterial spread (spleen cultures), and heterophil infiltration were assessed at 12, 24, and 48 hours post-inoculation.
Main Results:
- Heterophil recruitment to the respiratory tract contributed to lung lesions and tissue damage, potentially aiding P. multocida spread.
- Later in infection, heterophil-induced necrosis promoted giant cell formation, correlating with bacterial clearance from the spleen.
Conclusions:
- Heterophil activation has a dual role in P. multocida infection: initially promoting invasion and spread, then limiting infection via giant cell formation and clearance.