1
|
de Almeida Lopes C, Wang J, Liffner B, Absalon S, Gazzinelli-Guimaraes PH. Ascaris Mouse Model Protocols: Advancing Research on Larval Ascariasis Biology. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1074. [PMID: 38923794 PMCID: PMC11215937 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Ascariasis, caused by both Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaris suum, is the most prevalent parasitic disease worldwide, affecting both human and porcine populations. However, due to the difficulties of assessing the early events of infection in humans, most studies of human ascariasis have been restricted to the chronic intestinal phase. Therefore, the Ascaris mouse model has become a fundamental tool for investigating the immunobiology and pathogenesis of the early infection stage referred to as larval ascariasis because of the model's practicality and ability to replicate the natural processes involved. The Ascaris mouse model has been widely used to explore factors such as infection resistance/susceptibility, liver inflammation, lung immune-mediated pathology, and co-infections and, notably, as a pivotal element in preclinical vaccine trials. Exploring the immunobiology of larval ascariasis may offer new insights into disease development and provide a substantial understanding of key components that trigger a protective immune response. This article focuses on creating a comprehensive guide for conducting Ascaris experimental infections in the laboratory as a foundation for future research efforts. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Acquisition and embryonation of Ascaris suum eggs from adult females Alternate Protocol: Cleaning and purification of Ascaris suum from female A. suum uteri Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of Ascaris suum eggs and murine infection Basic Protocol 3: Measurement of larval burden and Ascaris-larva-induced pathogenesis Basic Protocol 4: In vitro hatching and purification of Ascaris L3 larvae Support Protocol: Preparation of crude antigen from Ascaris infectious stages Basic Protocol 5: Ultrastructure-expansion microscopy (U-ExM) of Ascaris suum larval stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Almeida Lopes
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Parasites Control, Department of Parasitology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jianbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
| | - Benjamin Liffner
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Sabrina Absalon
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Pedro H Gazzinelli-Guimaraes
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Souza JLN, Lopes CDA, Leal-Silva T, Vieira-Santos F, Amorim CCO, Padrão LDLS, Antunes Porto AR, Fujiwara RT, Russo RC, Bueno LL. Evaluation of reference genes for gene expression analysis by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in different tissues from mice infected by Ascaris suum. Microb Pathog 2024; 189:106567. [PMID: 38364877 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2024.106567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Human ascariasis is the most prevalent helminth infection, affecting 445 million people worldwide. To better understand the impact of the immune system on the pathophysiology of individuals infected with Ascaris suum, mice have been used as experimental models. The RT-qPCR technique is a critical auxiliary tool of investigation used to quantify mRNA levels. However, proper normalization using reference genes is essential to ensure reliable outcomes to avoid analytical errors and false results. Despite the importance of reference genes for experimental A. suum infection studies, no specific reference genes have been identified yet. Therefore, we conducted a study to assess five potential reference genes (GAPDH, 18s, ACTB, B2M, and HPRT1) in different tissues (liver, lungs, small and large intestines) affected by A. suum larval migration in C57BL/6j mice. Tissue collection was carried out to analyze parasite burden and confirm the presence of larvae during the peak of migration in each tissue. Upon confirmation, we analyzed different genes in the tissues and found no common gene with stable expression. Our results highlight the importance of analyzing different genes and using different software programs to ensure reliable relative expression results. Based on our findings, B2M was ranked as the ideal reference gene for the liver, while 18S was the most stable gene in the lung and small intestine. ACTB, or a combination of ACTB with GAPDH, was deemed suitable as reference genes for the large intestine due to their stable expression and less variation between the control and infected groups. To further demonstrate the impact of using different reference genes, we normalized the expression of a chemokine gene (CXCL9) in all tissues. Significant differences in CXCL9 expression levels were observed between different groups in all tissues except for the large intestine. This underscores the importance of selecting appropriate reference genes to avoid overestimating target gene expression levels and encountering normalization-related issues that can lead to false results. In conclusion, our study highlights the significance of using reliable reference genes for accurate RT-qPCR analysis, especially in the context of A. suum infection studies in different tissues. Proper normalization is crucial to ensure the validity of gene expression data and avoid potential pitfalls in interpreting results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Lucas Nascimento Souza
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Camila de Almeida Lopes
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Thais Leal-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Flaviane Vieira-Santos
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Chiara Cássia Oliveira Amorim
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luiza de Lima Silva Padrão
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana Rafaela Antunes Porto
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Remo Castro Russo
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Lilian Lacerda Bueno
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Oliveira FMS, Kraemer L, Vieira-Santos F, Leal-Silva T, Gazzinelli-Guimarães AC, Lopes CA, Amorim CCO, Pinheiro GRG, Moura MS, Matias PHP, Barbosa FS, Caliari MV, Weatherhead JE, Bueno LL, Russo RC, Fujiwara RT. The long-lasting Ascaris suum antigens in the lungs shapes the tissue adaptation modifying the pulmonary architecture and immune response after infection in mice. Microb Pathog 2024; 186:106483. [PMID: 38092133 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Ascariasis is the most prevalent helminth affecting approximately 819 million people worldwide. The acute phase of Ascariasis is characterized by larval migration of Ascaris spp., through the intestinal wall, carried to the liver and lungs of the host by the circulatory system. Most of the larvae subsequently transverse the lung parenchyma leading to tissue injury, reaching the airways and pharynx, where they can be expectorated and swallowed back to the gastrointestinal tract, where they develop into adult worms. However, some larvae are trapped in the lung parenchyma inciting an inflammatory response that causes persistent pulmonary tissue damage long after the resolution of infection, which returns to tissue homeostasis. However, the mechanism by which chronic lung disease develops and resolves remains unknown. Here, using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate that small fragments and larval antigens of Ascaris suum are deposited and retained chronically in the lung parenchyma of mice following a single Ascaris infection. Our results reveal that the prolonged presence of Ascaris larval antigens in the lung parenchyma contributes to the persistent immune stimulation inducing histopathological changes observed chronically following infection, and clearly demonstrate that larval antigens are related to all phases of tissue adaptation after infection: lung injury, chronic inflammation, resolution, and tissue remodeling, in parallel to increased specific humoral immunity and the recovery of lung function in mice. Additional insight is needed into the mechanisms of Ascaris antigen to induce chronic immune responses and resolution in the host lungs following larval migration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrício M S Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Cellular and Molecular Immunology Group, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation - FIOCRUZ, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1.715, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lucas Kraemer
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Flaviane Vieira-Santos
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Thaís Leal-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana C Gazzinelli-Guimarães
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Camila A Lopes
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Chiara C O Amorim
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Guilherme R G Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Matheus S Moura
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Pablo H P Matias
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo V Caliari
- Laboratory of Protozooses, Department of General Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Jill E Weatherhead
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lilian L Bueno
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Remo C Russo
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ricardo T Fujiwara
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Control of Parasites, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|