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Effect of Caging on Cryptosporidium parvum Proliferation in Mice
Hannah N Creasey1, Wen Zhang1,2, Giovanni Widmer1
1Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
Abstract:
Cryptosporidiosis is an enteric infection caused by several protozoan species in the genus Cryptosporidium (phylum Apicomplexa). Immunosuppressed mice are commonly used to model this infection. Surprisingly, for a pathogen like Cryptosporidium parvum, which is readily transmitted fecal-orally, mice housed in the same cage can develop vastly different levels of infection, ranging from undetectable to lethal. The motivation for this study was to investigate this phenomenon and assess the association between the severity of cryptosporidiosis and the fecal microbiota. To this aim, the association between severity of cryptosporidiosis and caging (group caged vs. individually caged) and between the microbiota taxonomy and the course of the infection was examined. In contrast to mice caged in groups of four, a majority of mice caged individually did not excrete a detectable level of oocysts. Microbiota α diversity in samples collected between three days prior to infection and one day post-infection was negatively correlated with the severity of cryptosporidiosis, suggesting a causal negative relationship between microbiota diversity and susceptibility to C. parvum.
Insights
Individual housing and higher gut microbiota diversity in mice reduced Cryptosporidium parvum infection severity. This suggests a link between a diverse gut microbiome and resistance to this enteric pathogen.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Immunology
- Microbiome Research
Background:
- Cryptosporidiosis, an enteric infection caused by *Cryptosporidium* species, is often modeled in immunosuppressed mice.
- Significant variability in infection severity is observed even among mice housed together, posing a challenge for research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing varying *Cryptosporidium parvum* infection severity in mice.
- To assess the relationship between host fecal microbiota composition and cryptosporidiosis severity.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of infection severity in group-housed versus individually housed mice.
- Analysis of fecal microbiota taxonomy and its correlation with *C. parvum* infection levels.
- Microbiota alpha diversity assessment relative to infection course.
Main Results:
- Individually housed mice showed significantly lower oocyst excretion compared to group-housed mice.
- A negative correlation was found between microbiota alpha diversity and cryptosporidiosis severity.
- Early microbiota diversity (pre-infection to post-infection) was linked to infection outcome.
Conclusions:
- Housing conditions influence *C. parvum* infection severity in mice.
- Increased fecal microbiota diversity is associated with reduced susceptibility to *Cryptosporidium* infection.
- Gut microbiome composition plays a role in modulating the course of cryptosporidiosis.
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