Immunocytochemical studies of Salmonella Typhimurium invasion of porcine jejunal epithelial cells

• Published in: Journal of medical microbiology Vol. 53; no. 7; pp. 691 - 695
• Main Authors: Schauser, Kirsten, Olsen, John Elmerdahl, Larsson, Lars-Inge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.07.2004; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Actins - analysis; Animals; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Cytoskeleton - chemistry; Cytoskeleton - pathology; Epithelial Cells - chemistry; Epithelial Cells - microbiology; Epithelial Cells - pathology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immunohistochemistry; Infectious diseases; Intestinal Mucosa - chemistry; Intestinal Mucosa - microbiology; Intestinal Mucosa - pathology; Jejunum - chemistry; Jejunum - microbiology; Jejunum - pathology; Keratins - analysis; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Peyer's Patches - pathology; Salmonella Infections, Animal - metabolism; Salmonella Infections, Animal - microbiology; Salmonella Infections, Animal - pathology; Salmonella typhimurium; Salmonella typhimurium - pathogenicity; Staining and Labeling; Swine; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Microbiology; Swine; Bacteria; Epithelial cell; Artiodactyla; Veterinary; Salmonella typhimurium; Ungulata; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0022-2615; 1473-5644
• DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.45582-0

Department of Anatomy and Physiology 1 and Department of Veterinary Microbiology 2 , The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Gronnegaardsvej 7, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark Correspondence Kirsten Schauser ks{at}kvl.dk Received January 7, 2004 Accepted February 25, 2004 Although infection of pigs with Salmonella Typhimurium represents a serious problem, most studies on Salmonella infection have been carried out in other species. The purpose of the current study was to examine the route(s) of entry of Salmonella Typhimurium in pigs, using a jejunal loop model. The infection process was followed over 240 min using single to triple immunocytochemical detection of Salmonella and intestinal cell markers. Salmonella invasion was observed in both cytokeratin-18-positive and -negative cylindrical absorptive cells within 5–10 min. Subepithelial invasion of ordinary villi was consistently less marked than invasion of the subepithelial layer of Peyer's patches. Our results show that several epithelial cell types were invaded by Salmonella , and that Peyer's patches represent the main portal of entry in early Salmonella infection. Additionally, infection was associated with alterations in the keratin and F-actin cytoskeleton of intestinal epithelial cells, probably reflecting toxin-mediated actions. Such changes were confined to the proximal region of the jejunum, demonstrating a regional heterogeneity of intestinal epithelial cell responses to Salmonella infection. Abbreviations: EC cell, enterochromaffin cell; E, eosin; FAE, follicle-associated epithelium; H, haematoxylin; M cell, membranous cell; PP, Peyer's patches.