Related Experiment Videos
Interaction of Cryptosporidium parvum and Campylobacter jejuni in experimentally infected neonatal mice
J Vítovec1, B Koudela, P Vladík
1Institute of Parasitology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Ceské Budĕjovice.
Abstract:
By the method of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the inner mucosal surface of the ileum, ceacum and colon was studied in inbred BALB/c mice. Two-day-old mice were infected with either 10(6) oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum and 10(8) CFU of porcine and human strains of the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni or with a combination of both enteropathogens. Pathological changes in infection with C. parvum were related to enterocytes and villous atrophy appeared. In infection with C. jejuni, pathological changes were related to goblet cells. In combined infections, pathological changes were similar to those in monoinfections and occurred simultaneously within the intestine. Synergistic interaction of C. parvum and C. jejuni manifested itself morphologically in a more intense colonization of the inner surface of the small and large intestine by C. jejuni, in a more intense infection of the caecum and colon by C. parvum, and in prolongation of severe, massive infection of the small and large intestine, and also a prolongation of the patent period.
Insights
This study investigated the combined effects of Cryptosporidium parvum and Campylobacter jejuni infections in mice. Combined infections led to prolonged and more severe intestinal damage, indicating a synergistic interaction between these enteropathogens.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Microbiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Cryptosporidium parvum and Campylobacter jejuni are significant enteropathogens affecting both humans and animals.
- Understanding the interactions between multiple enteric infections is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathological changes and synergistic interactions between Cryptosporidium parvum and Campylobacter jejuni in a mouse model.
- To compare the effects of monoinfections versus combined infections on the intestinal mucosa.
Main Methods:
- Inbred BALB/c mice were infected with Cryptosporidium parvum, Campylobacter jejuni, or a combination of both.
- The inner mucosal surface of the ileum, caecum, and colon was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Main Results:
- Cryptosporidium parvum infection primarily affected enterocytes, causing villous atrophy.
- Campylobacter jejuni infection targeted goblet cells.
- Combined infections exhibited synergistic effects, including enhanced colonization by C. jejuni, increased C. parvum infection in the caecum and colon, and prolonged severe intestinal infection.
Conclusions:
- Cryptosporidium parvum and Campylobacter jejuni exhibit synergistic interactions in the murine intestine.
- Combined infections result in more severe and prolonged pathology compared to monoinfections.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering polymicrobial infections in intestinal disease pathogenesis.