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Infection of the colon of the rhesus monkey by spiral-shaped organisms

J Zeller1, A Takeuchi

  • 1Department of Pathology, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

Veterinary Pathology. Supplement
|September 1, 1982
PubMed

Insights

Intestinal spirochetosis, an infection by spiral bacteria, was found in 42% of healthy rhesus monkeys. These microbes colonize the large intestine

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Primate Research
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Intestinal spirochetosis is an infection of the gut mucosa by spiral-shaped organisms.
  • Understanding its prevalence and host interaction in non-human primates is crucial for comparative pathology.
  • Rhesus monkeys serve as a relevant model for studying gastrointestinal conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and ultrastructural characteristics of intestinal spirochetosis in clinically normal rhesus monkeys.
  • To characterize the morphology and location of spiral organisms within the colonic mucosa.
  • To assess the host's cellular response to the presence of these bacteria.

Main Methods:

  • Histological examination of colonic tissues from 221 rhesus monkeys.
  • Staining techniques including hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Warthin-Starry stain.
  • Transmission and scanning electron microscopy for ultrastructural analysis.

Main Results:

  • Intestinal spirochetosis was identified in 42% of the studied monkeys.
  • Spiral organisms appeared as a basophilic haze on the colonic surface, confirmed by Warthin-Starry stain.
  • Two distinct types of spiral bacteria (spirochetes and flagellated microbes) were observed, primarily colonizing the brush border of the large intestine epithelium, absent in crypts and small intestine. Minimal invasion into epithelial cytoplasm and lamina propria occurred without inducing an inflammatory response.

Conclusions:

  • Intestinal spirochetosis is a common finding in healthy rhesus monkeys.
  • The identified spiral organisms exclusively inhabit the surface epithelium of the large intestine.
  • The infection does not elicit a detectable inflammatory response or significant cytopathic changes in the host.

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