Interaction between bacteria and cholesterol crystals: Implications for endocarditis and atherosclerosis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 17; no. 2; p. e0263847
• Main Authors: Boumegouas, Manel, Raju, Manjunath, Gardiner, Joseph, Hammer, Neal, Saleh, Yehia, Al-Abcha, Abdullah, Kalra, Apoorv, Abela, George S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 18.02.2022; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adhesion; Animals; Arteries; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - metabolism; Atherosclerosis - microbiology; Bacteria; Bacteria, Pathogenic; Biology and Life Sciences; Cardiology; Carotid arteries; Carotid artery; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - chemistry; Cholesterol - metabolism; Complications and side effects; Confocal microscopy; Crystallization; Crystals; Destabilization; Electron microscopy; Endocarditis; Endocarditis - metabolism; Endocarditis - microbiology; Health aspects; Heart; Heart attacks; Heart valves; Humans; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Microspheres; Physical Sciences; Plaques; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - pathogenicity; Rabbits; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk factors; Scanning electron microscopy; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - pathogenicity; Veins & arteries; United States; East Lansing Michigan; United States > US; Japan; Michigan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263847

The interaction between pathogenic bacteria and cholesterol crystals (CCs) has not been investigated. However, CCs are found extensively in atherosclerotic plaques and sclerotic cardiac valves. Interactions between pathogenic bacteria and CCs could provide insights into destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques and bacterial adhesion to cardiac valves. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to assess in vitro bacterial adhesion to CCs and proliferation in the presence of CCs compared to plastic microspheres and glass shards as controls. Ex vivo studies evaluated bacterial adhesion to atherosclerotic rabbit arteries compared to normal arteries and human atherosclerotic carotid plaques compared to normal carotid arteries. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to visualize bacterial adhesion to CCs and confocal microscopy was used to detect cholesterol binding to bacteria grown in the presence or absence of CCs. In vitro, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa displayed significantly greater adhesion, 36% (p<0.0001) and 89% (p<0.0001), respectively, and growth upon exposure to CCs compared to microspheres or glass shards. Rabbit and human atherosclerotic arteries contained significantly greater bacterial burdens compared to controls (4× (p<0.0004); 3× (p<0.019), respectively. SEM demonstrated that bacteria adhered and appeared to degrade CCs. Consistent with this, confocal microscopy indicated increased cholesterol bound to the bacterial cells. This study is the first to demonstrate an interaction between bacteria and CCs showing that bacteria dissolve and bind to CCs. This interaction helps to elucidate adhesion of bacteria to sclerotic valves and atherosclerotic plaques that may contribute to endocarditis and plaque destabilization.