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Measuring Bacterial Load and Immune Responses in Mice Infected with Listeria monocytogenes
12:50

Measuring Bacterial Load and Immune Responses in Mice Infected with Listeria monocytogenes

Published on: August 9, 2011

Immune reactions to Listeria monocytogenes in the brain

D Schlüter1, C Buck, S Reiter

  • 1Institut für Med. Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität Heidelberg, Universitätsklinikum Mannheim, Germany. dirk.schlueter@imh.ma.uni-heidelberg.de

Immunobiology
|January 13, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Systemic immunization significantly reduces mortality in mice with Listeria monocytogenes (LM) cerebral infections. This protection correlates with lower bacterial loads and enhanced T cell responses against this common pathogen.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Infectious Disease Immunology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a significant cause of central nervous system infections.
  • LM targets specific cells within the brain, including neurons and microglia.
  • Cell-to-cell spread via phospholipase C is crucial for LM's intracerebral pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the protective effects of systemic immunization against experimental cerebral listeriosis.
  • To understand the immunological mechanisms underlying protection in immunized mice.

Main Methods:

  • Induction of cerebral listeriosis in a mouse model.
  • Assessment of mortality rates following intracerebral LM infection.
  • Quantification of intracerebral bacterial load.
  • Analysis of immune cell infiltration (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) and cytokine mRNA expression.

Main Results:

  • Cerebral listeriosis in untreated mice led to rapid mortality.
  • Systemic immunization prior to infection reduced mortality to 40%.
  • Immunized mice exhibited reduced bacterial loads and increased recruitment of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.
  • Upregulated mRNA production of protective cytokines was observed in immunized mice.

Conclusions:

  • Active systemic immunization provides significant protection against lethal cerebral listeriosis in mice.
  • Protection is associated with reduced bacterial burden and robust T cell-mediated immunity.
  • Further research into LM virulence factors beyond phospholipase C is warranted.

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