BURKHOLDERIA PSEUDOMALLEI BIOFILM PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN CHRONIC INFLAMMATION IN C57BL/6 MICE

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Immunology
• Pathology

Background:

• Burkholderia pseudomallei causes melioidosis, a disease with diverse clinical presentations.
• Chronic inflammation and subclinical infections are significant aspects of melioidosis.
• The role of bacterial biofilms in chronic inflammatory lung diseases requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of Burkholderia pseudomallei biofilm in inducing chronic pulmonary inflammation.
• To establish a potential animal model for chronic human melioidosis.

Main Methods:

• C57BL/6 mice were infected intra-gastrically with low doses of B. pseudomallei H777 and its biofilm-defective M10 mutant.
• Histopathological techniques were employed to assess inflammatory responses and lung pathology.
• Mice were monitored at days 20, 40, and 60 post-infection.

Main Results:

• B. pseudomallei H777 induced chronic inflammation, characterized by mononuclear cell infiltration and alveolar septal thickening.
• Mice infected with the biofilm-defective M10 mutant exhibited less severe pathology and reduced inflammation.
• The M10 mutant infection resulted in a higher survival rate compared to the wild-type strain.

Conclusions:

• B. pseudomallei biofilm production is crucial for the development of severe chronic pulmonary inflammation.
• Defective biofilm formation in B. pseudomallei leads to attenuated virulence and increased host survival.
• Intra-gastric infection with B. pseudomallei in C57BL/6 mice serves as a viable model for studying chronic melioidosis.