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In vitro infection of bovine brain endothelial cells by Cowdria ruminantium
D Martinez1, C Sheikboudou, P O Couraud
1Institut d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux, Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe, West Indies.
Insights
Cowdria ruminantium successfully infected bovine brain capillary endothelial cells (BBEC). This breakthrough enables studying how this parasite infects the blood brain barrier endothelium.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Cowdria ruminantium causes heartwater disease, a significant threat to livestock.
- The parasite primarily targets endothelial cells, leading to vascular damage.
- Understanding C. ruminantium's interaction with endothelial cells is crucial for disease control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and characterize an in vitro infection model of Cowdria ruminantium using bovine brain capillary endothelial cells (BBEC).
- To compare the growth and lifecycle of C. ruminantium in BBEC with those in bovine umbilical endothelial cells (BUE).
- To provide a tool for investigating the mechanisms of C. ruminantium infection at the blood brain barrier.
Main Methods:
- Infection of BBEC and BUE with the Gardel stock of C. ruminantium.
- Culturing and passaging of infected cells under identical conditions.
- Monitoring parasite growth, morphology, and lifecycle progression in both cell types.
Main Results:
- Successful infection of BBEC with C. ruminantium was achieved.
- Identical growth conditions and parasite lifecycle were observed in both BBEC and BUE.
- Average intervals between passages were 8.6 days for BBEC and 8.9 days for BUE.
- Parasite morphology and lifecycle completion time were consistent across both cell types.
Conclusions:
- BBEC serve as a viable host cell for C. ruminantium in vitro.
- This BBEC model facilitates research into C. ruminantium's invasion of the blood brain barrier endothelium.
- The findings pave the way for developing targeted interventions against heartwater disease.
Abstract:
Endothelial cells from bovine brain capillaries (BBEC) were successfully infected with the Gardel stock of Cowdria ruminantium. Growth conditions of cowdria in BBEC and bovine umbilical endothelial cells (BUE) were identical with average intervals between passages of 8.6 and 8.9 days in BBEC (17 passages) and BUE (28 passages), respectively. The time required to complete the life cycle and the morphology of the parasite were identical in both types of cells. The demonstration that BBEC may be infected with C ruminantium offers the means to study the mechanism of infection of the blood brain barrier endothelium by this parasite.