Eimeria bovis modulates adhesion molecule gene transcription in and PMN adhesion to infected bovine endothelial cells

Eimeria bovis is an important coccidian parasite of cattle causing severe diarrhea in young animals. Its first schizogony takes place in endothelial cells of the ileum resulting in the formation of macroschizonts 14-18 days p.i. This longlasting development suggests a particular immune evasion strategy of the parasite. Here, we analyse early innate immune reactions to E. bovis by determining the adhesion of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to infected endothelial cell layers under flow conditions and the transcription of adhesion molecule genes in infected host cells. Bovine umbilical vein endothelial cells (BUVEC) were infected with E. bovis sporozoites. Sporozoites invaded BUVEC within 1h and the first mature macroschizonts occurred 14 days p.i. PMN adhesion was enhanced in E. bovis-infected BUVEC layers as early as 8h p.i.; maximum adhesion occurred 48 h p.i. Increased adhesion rates persisted until the end of the observation period at 14 days p.i. PMN adhered to both infected and uninfected cells within monolayers, suggesting paracrine cell activation. E. bovis infection upregulated the transcription of genes encoding for P-selectin, E-selectin, vascular cellular adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). Most marked effects concerned E-selectin followed by P-selectin, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. Increased transcript levels were found beginning 30 min p.i. and maximum values occurred 1-2h p.i. (P-selectin) and 2-4h p.i. (E-selectin, VCAM-1, ICAM-1). By 12-24h p.i. levels had decreased to those of uninfected controls. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-induced PMN adhesion was significantly reduced in infected vs. uninfected BUVEC. Eimeria bovis also had suppressive effects on TNFalpha-mediated upregulation of adhesion molecule gene transcription. The data presented here suggest that infection of BUVEC with E. bovis on one hand induces proinflammatory reactions resulting in enhanced PMN adhesion mediated by upregulated adhesion molecule gene transcription but on the other downregulates TNFalpha-induced cell activation.