Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an obligate intracellular pathogen that has a wide host distribution, but primarily affects rabbits. The aim of this study was to characterize both the cell-mediated and the antibody response in rabbits after experimental infection using 2 different infection routes: oral and ocular. SPF rabbits were infected with low (10³ spores) and high (10⁷ spores) infection doses. Monitored parameters included clinical signs, detection of spores in urine, antibody response detected with ELISA, and cell-mediated immunity detected by antigen-driven lymphocyte proliferation. At week 13 post-infection, half of the rabbits in each group were suppressed by intramuscular administration of dexamethasone. At week 18 post-infection, animals were euthanized. Clinical signs were mild with exacerbation after immunosuppression. Spores in urine and antigen-specific cell-mediated immunity were detected from weeks 5 and 4 post-infection, respectively. Specific IgM was detected 1 week after infection, and IgG antibodies followed 1 week later in rabbits infected with the high dose. Immunological responses were dose dependent. The authors can conclude that both oral and ocular experimental infection with E. cuniculi resulted in an immune response of the infected animals. Rabbits could be used as an experimental model for the study of ocular microsporidiosis.
- MeSH
- aktivace lymfocytů MeSH
- buněčná imunita MeSH
- Encephalitozoon cuniculi imunologie patogenita MeSH
- encephalitozoonóza imunologie parazitologie patologie MeSH
- imunoglobulin G krev MeSH
- imunoglobulin M krev MeSH
- králíci MeSH
- modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
- nemoci úst imunologie parazitologie patologie MeSH
- oční infekce imunologie parazitologie patologie MeSH
- outbrední kmeny zvířat MeSH
- protilátky protozoální krev MeSH
- tvorba protilátek MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- králíci MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important group of environmental pollutants, known for their mutagenic and carcinogenic activities. Many PAHs are aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands and several recent studies have suggested that PAHs or their metabolites may activate estrogen receptors (ER). The present study investigated possible estrogenic/antiestrogenic effects of abundant environmental contaminants benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benz[a]anthracene (BaA), fluoranthene (Fla) and benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF) in vivo, using the immature rat uterotrophic assay. The present results suggest that BaA, BaP and Fla behaved as estrogen-like compounds in immature Wistar rats, when applied for 3 consecutive days at 10mg/kg/day, as documented by a significant increase of uterine weight and hypertrophy of luminal epithelium. These effects were likely to be mediated by ERalpha, a major subtype of ER present in uterus, as they were inhibited by treatment with ER antagonist ICI 182,780. BaA, the most potent of studied PAHs, induced a significant estrogenic effect within a concentration range 0.1-50mg/kg/day; however, it did not reach the maximum level induced by reference estrogens. The proposed antiestrogenicity of the potent AhR agonist BkF was not confirmed in the present in vivo study; the exposure to BkF did not significantly affect the uterine weight, although a weak suppression of ERalpha immunostaining was observed in luminal and glandular epithelium, possibly related to its AhR-mediated activity. The PAHs under study did not induce marked genotoxic damage in uterine tissues, as documented by the lack of Ser-15-phoshorylated p53 protein staining. With the exception of Fla, all three remaining compounds increased CYP1-dependent monooxygenation activities in liver at the doses used, suggesting that the potential tissue-specific antiestrogenic effects of PAHs mediated by metabolization of 17beta-estradiol also cannot be excluded. Taken together, these environmentally relevant PAHs induced estrogenic effects in vivo, which might affect their toxic impact and carcinogenicity.
- MeSH
- alfa receptor estrogenů metabolismus MeSH
- cytochrom P-450 CYP1A1 metabolismus MeSH
- endokrinní disruptory toxicita MeSH
- epitel účinky léků MeSH
- estradiol metabolismus MeSH
- estrogeny biosyntéza MeSH
- financování organizované MeSH
- fosforylace MeSH
- hydroxylace MeSH
- imunohistochemie MeSH
- jaterní mikrozomy metabolismus účinky léků MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- látky znečišťující životní prostředí toxicita MeSH
- nádorový supresorový protein p53 metabolismus MeSH
- ovarium účinky léků MeSH
- polycyklické aromatické uhlovodíky toxicita MeSH
- potkani Wistar MeSH
- uterus metabolismus účinky léků MeSH
- velikost orgánu účinky léků MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
We have used selected rabbit anti-human polyclonal antibodies as an example of useful and easily available tools for studies on immune system structure and development in important veterinary species, many of which also represent animal models in biomedicine. The cocktail of anti-human Igkappa-FITC/anti-Iglambda-RPE F(ab')(2) fragments was used for two-colour and, in combination with the cross-reactive anti-CD79alpha monoclonal antibody HM-57, for three-colour flow cytometry of canine, feline, bovine and porcine peripheral B-cells. A possible application of such immunoreagents in studies on primary B-cell differentiation has been suggested in pigs; the same approach can be used in other species of interest. Rabbit anti-human lactoferrin-FITC F(ab')(2) fragment was used for visualizing neutrophils in dogs, pigs and cattle and an application for two-colour immunophenotyping of canine granulocyte subsets has been designed. Affinity isolated rabbit anti-human CD3 and anti-human TdT have been shown to represent a ready-to-use tool for in situ studies on primary T-lymphopoiesis in pigs with possible extensions both to the B-lineage development in pigs and other animal models. Altogether, our study show that carefully selected polyclonal antibodies available on the market may possess broad cross-reactivity with important applications in veterinary research.
- MeSH
- antisérum imunologie MeSH
- CD antigeny analýza imunologie MeSH
- DNA-nukleotidylexotransferasa analýza imunologie MeSH
- financování organizované MeSH
- imunitní systém fyziologie MeSH
- imunohistochemie MeSH
- kočky MeSH
- králíci MeSH
- lehké řetězce imunoglobulinů analýza imunologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- prasata MeSH
- průtoková cytometrie MeSH
- psi MeSH
- skot MeSH
- zkřížené reakce MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- kočky MeSH
- králíci MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- psi MeSH
- skot MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
The objective of this study was to investigate the morphological effects of postnatal exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) on the development of the uterus, uterine estrogen receptor (ERalpha) expression, and the uterine response to estrogen stimulation using the uterotrophic bioassay in rats. Neonates were injected on each postnatal day (PND) 1-14 with B[a]P (0.1, 1.0 and 10.0mg/kg), ethynylestradiol (EE; 1.0 microg/kg) or vehicle (control group). All animals were killed on PND 23. Postnatal administration of B[a]P with doses of 1.0 and 10.0 mg/kg induced significant (P<0.01) reduction of uterine weight and significantly lowered (P<0.05) ERalpha expression in the luminal epithelium. The increase in uterine weight and luminal epithelium heights after EE stimulation (1.0 microg/kg) on PND 20-22 was significantly higher (P<0.01) in all groups in comparison with corresponding non-stimulated groups. However, the uterotrophic response in rats postnatally exposed to EE and B[a]P was significantly lower (P<0.01) than in controls. In the control and EE groups, EE stimulation on PND 20-22 induced a significant (P<0.01) decrease in ERalpha immunoreactivity of the luminal epithelium. In contrast, rats postnatally treated with B[a]P showed no change in the density of ERalpha immunostaining when detected after estrogenic stimulation. The present study showed that postnatal exposure to B[a]P caused pathological changes in constitution and maturation of uterine ERalpha resulting in disturbed morphological development and uterine dysfunction in immature rats.
- MeSH
- alfa receptor estrogenů metabolismus účinky léků MeSH
- antagonisté estrogenu toxicita MeSH
- benzopyren toxicita MeSH
- buněčné jádro metabolismus patologie účinky léků MeSH
- epitelové buňky patologie účinky léků MeSH
- estrogeny farmakologie MeSH
- ethinylestradiol farmakologie MeSH
- financování organizované MeSH
- fluorescenční protilátková technika přímá MeSH
- imunoenzymatické techniky MeSH
- injekce subkutánní MeSH
- kombinovaná farmakoterapie MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- novorozená zvířata MeSH
- pohlavní dospělost MeSH
- potkani Wistar MeSH
- uterus patologie růst a vývoj účinky léků MeSH
- velikost orgánu účinky léků MeSH
- vztah mezi dávkou a účinkem léčiva MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- abstrakt z konference MeSH
