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Hugon AM, Deblois CL, Simmons HA, Mejia A, Schotzo ML, Czuprynski CJ, Suen G, Golos TG. Listeria monocytogenes infection in pregnant macaques alters the maternal gut microbiome†. Biol Reprod 2023; 109:618-634. [PMID: 37665249 PMCID: PMC10651077 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad104] [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: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Infection occurs through consumption of contaminated food that is disseminated to the maternal-fetal interface. The influence on the gastrointestinal microbiome during Lm infection remains unexplored in pregnancy. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of listeriosis on the gut microbiota of pregnant macaques. METHODS A non-human primate model of listeriosis in pregnancy has been previously described. Both pregnant and non-pregnant cynomolgus macaques were inoculated with Lm and bacteremia and fecal shedding were monitored for 14 days. Non-pregnant animal tissues were collected at necropsy to determine bacterial burden, and fecal samples from both pregnant and non-pregnant animals were evaluated by 16S rRNA next-generation sequencing. RESULTS Unlike pregnant macaques, non-pregnant macaques did not exhibit bacteremia, fecal shedding, or tissue colonization by Lm. Dispersion of Lm during pregnancy was associated with a significant decrease in alpha diversity of the host gut microbiome, compared to non-pregnant counterparts. The combined effects of pregnancy and listeriosis were associated with a significant loss in microbial richness, although there were increases in some genera and decreases in others. CONCLUSIONS Although pregnancy alone is not associated with gut microbiome disruption, we observed dysbiosis with listeriosis during pregnancy. The macaque model may provide an understanding of the roles that pregnancy and the gut microbiota play in the ability of Lm to establish intestinal infection and disseminate throughout the host, thereby contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes and risk to the developing fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Marie Hugon
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Courtney L Deblois
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Heather A Simmons
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andres Mejia
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michele L Schotzo
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Charles J Czuprynski
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Garret Suen
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Thaddeus G Golos
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Wolfe B, Kerr AR, Mejia A, Simmons HA, Czuprynski CJ, Golos TG. Sequelae of Fetal Infection in a Non-human Primate Model of Listeriosis. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2021. [PMID: 31572310 PMCID: PMC6749046 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a common environmental bacterium that thrives on vegetation and soil matter, but can infect humans if contaminated food products are ingested, resulting in severe disease in immunosuppressed populations, including pregnant women and newborns. To better understand how the unique immunological milieu of pregnancy increases susceptibility to infection, we study listeriosis in cynomolgus macaques, a non-human primate that closely resembles humans in placentation and in the physiology, and immunology of pregnancy. Non-human primates are naturally susceptible to Lm infection, and spontaneous abortions due to listeriosis are known to occur in outdoor macaque colonies, making them ideal models to understand the disease pathogenesis and host-pathogen relationship of listeriosis. We have previously shown that Lm infection in the first trimester has a high rate of miscarriage. This study expands on our previous findings by assessing how the quantity of Lm as well as stage of pregnancy at the time of exposure may influence disease susceptibility. In the current study we inoculated a cohort of macaques with a lower dose of Lm than our previous study and although this did not result in fetal demise, there was evidence of in utero inflammation and fetal distress. Animals that were reinfected with an equivalent or higher dose of the same strain of Lm resulted in approximately half of cases continuing to term and half ending in fetal demise. These cases had inconsistent bacterial colonization of the fetal compartment, suggesting that Lm does not need to directly infect the placenta to cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Timed surgical collection of tissues following inoculation demonstrated that transmission from mother to fetus can occur as soon as 5 days post-inoculation. Lastly, third trimester inoculation resulted in pregnancy loss in 3 out of 4 macaques, accompanied by characteristic pathology and Lm colonization. Collectively, our studies demonstrate that common laboratory culture tests may not always recover Lm despite known maternal ingestion. Notably, we also find it is possible for maternal infection to resolve in some cases with no discernible adverse outcome; however, such cases had evidence of a sterile intrauterine inflammatory response, with unknown consequences for fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce Wolfe
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States.,Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Andrea R Kerr
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Andres Mejia
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Heather A Simmons
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Charles J Czuprynski
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin -Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Thaddeus G Golos
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Dambaeva S, Schneiderman S, Jaiswal MK, Agrawal V, Katara GK, Gilman-Sachs A, Hirsch E, Beaman KD. Interleukin 22 prevents lipopolysaccharide- induced preterm labor in mice. Biol Reprod 2018; 98:299-308. [PMID: 29315356 PMCID: PMC6669419 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth is widespread and causes 35% of all neonatal deaths. Infants who survive face potential long-term complications. A major contributing factor of preterm birth is infection. We investigated the role of interleukin 22 (IL22) as a potential clinically relevant cytokine during gestational infection. IL22 is an effector molecule secreted by immune cells. While the expression of IL22 was reported in normal nonpregnant endometrium and early pregnancy decidua, little is known about uterine IL22 expression during mid or late gestational stages of pregnancy. Since IL22 has been shown to be an essential mediator in epithelial regeneration and wound repair, we investigated the potential role of IL22 during defense against an inflammatory response at the maternal-fetal interface. We used a well-established model to study infection and infection-associated inflammation during preterm birth in the mouse. We have shown that IL22 is upregulated to respond to an intrauterine lipopolysaccharide administration and plays an important role in controlling the risk of inflammation-induced preterm birth. This paper proposes IL22 as a treatment method to combat infection and prevent preterm birth in susceptible patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Dambaeva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sylvia Schneiderman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mukesh K Jaiswal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Varkha Agrawal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Gajendra K Katara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Alice Gilman-Sachs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Emmet Hirsch
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kenneth D Beaman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Rocha CE, Mol JPS, Garcia LNN, Costa LF, Santos RL, Paixão TA. Comparative experimental infection of Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria ivanovii in bovine trophoblasts. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0176911. [PMID: 28467447 PMCID: PMC5415186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, facultative intracellular and invasive bacterium that has tropism to the placenta, and causes fetal morbidity and mortality in several mammalian species. While infection with L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii are known as important causes of abortion and reproductive failure in cattle, the pathogenesis of maternal-fetal listeriosis in this species is poorly known. This study used the bovine chorioallantoic membrane explant model to investigate the kinetics of L. monocytogenes, L. ivanovii, and L. innocua infections in bovine trophoblastic cells for up to 8 h post infection. L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii were able to invade and multiply in trophoblastic cells without causing cell death or inducing expression of pro-inflammatory genes. Although L. innocua was unable to multiply in bovine trophoblastic cells, it induced transcription of the pro-inflammatory mediator CXCL6. This study demonstrated for the first time the susceptibility of bovine trophoblastic cells to L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia E. Rocha
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Juliana P. S. Mol
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luize N. N. Garcia
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luciana F. Costa
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Renato L. Santos
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Tatiane A. Paixão
- Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Acute Fetal Demise with First Trimester Maternal Infection Resulting from Listeria monocytogenes in a Nonhuman Primate Model. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.01938-16. [PMID: 28223455 PMCID: PMC5358912 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01938-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection with Listeria monocytogenes during pregnancy is associated with miscarriage, preterm birth, and neonatal complications, including sepsis and meningitis. While the risk of these conditions is thought to be greatest during the third trimester of pregnancy, the determinants of fetoplacental susceptibility to infection, the contribution of gestational age, and the in vivo progression of disease at the maternal-fetal interface are poorly understood. We developed a nonhuman primate model of listeriosis to better understand antecedents of adverse pregnancy outcomes in early pregnancy. Four pregnant cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) received a single intragastric inoculation between days 36 and 46 of gestation with 107 CFU of an L. monocytogenes strain isolated from a previous cluster of human listeriosis cases that resulted in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Fecal shedding, maternal bacteremia, and fetal demise were consistently noted within 7 to 13 days. Biopsy specimens of maternal liver, spleen, and lymph node displayed variable inflammation and relatively low bacterial burden. In comparison, we observed greater bacterial burden in the decidua and placenta and the highest burden in fetal tissues. Histopathology indicated vasculitis, fibrinoid necrosis, and thrombosis of the decidual spiral arteries, acute chorioamnionitis and villitis in the placenta, and hematogenous infection of the fetus. Vascular pathology suggests early impact of L. monocytogenes infection on spiral arteries in the decidua, which we hypothesize precipitates subsequent placentitis and fetal demise. These results demonstrate that L. monocytogenes tropism for the maternal reproductive tract results in infection of the decidua, placenta, and the fetus itself during the first trimester of pregnancy. Although listeriosis is known to cause significant fetal morbidity and mortality, it is typically recognized in the third trimester of human pregnancy. Its impact on early pregnancy is poorly defined. Here we provide evidence that exposure to L. monocytogenes in the first trimester poses a greater risk of fetal loss than currently appreciated. Similarities in human and nonhuman primate placentation, physiology, and reproductive immunology make this work highly relevant to human pregnancy. We highlight the concept that the maternal immune response that protects the mother from serious disease is unable to protect the fetus, a concept relevant to classic TORCH (toxoplasmosis, other, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes) infections and newly illuminated by current Zika virus outbreaks. Studies with this model, using the well-understood organism L. monocytogenes, will permit precise analysis of host-pathogen interactions at the maternal-fetal interface and have broad significance to both recognized and emerging infections in the setting of pregnancy.
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Lei W, Browning JD, Eichen PA, Folk WR, Sun GY, Lubahn DB, Fritsche KL. An Investigation into the Immunomodulatory Activities of Sutherlandia frutescens in Healthy Mice. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160994. [PMID: 27575007 PMCID: PMC5004858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sutherlandia frutescens is a medicinal plant that has been traditionally used in southern Africa for cancers, infections, and inflammatory conditions. We recently published experiments demonstrating that an aqueous extract of S. frutescens possessed potent immune-stimulatory activity. This work was carried out with murine macrophages, an immune cell type that plays a pivotal role in host defense from infection and in shaping host inflammatory and immune responses. Here, we conducted a series of follow-up experiments to explore the impact of consuming S. frutescens on host response to bacterial challenge using healthy mice. We found that feeding mice a diet containing S. frutescens failed to significantly alter host response to systemic infection by either a gram-positive or gram-negative bacterium (i.e., L. monocytogenes and E. coli, respectively). In contrast to the in vitro observations, we found no evidence that S. frutescens consumption stimulated in vivo inflammatory responses; instead, consumption of S. frutescens tended to diminish in vivo inflammatory responses. Several possible reasons for this are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lei
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jimmy D. Browning
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Peggy A. Eichen
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - William R. Folk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Grace Y. Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Dennis B. Lubahn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Kevin L. Fritsche
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Behnsen J, Jellbauer S, Wong CP, Edwards RA, George MD, Ouyang W, Raffatellu M. The cytokine IL-22 promotes pathogen colonization by suppressing related commensal bacteria. Immunity 2014; 40:262-73. [PMID: 24508234 PMCID: PMC3964146 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is highly induced in response to infections with a variety of pathogens, and its main functions are considered to be tissue repair and host defense at mucosal surfaces. Here we showed that IL-22 has a unique role during infection in that its expression suppressed the intestinal microbiota and enhanced the colonization of a pathogen. IL-22 induced the expression of antimicrobial proteins, including lipocalin-2 and calprotectin, which sequester essential metal ions from microbes. Because Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium can overcome metal ion starvation mediated by lipocalin-2 and calprotectin via alternative pathways, IL-22 boosted its colonization of the inflamed intestine by suppressing commensal Enterobacteriaceae, which are susceptible to the antimicrobial proteins. Thus, IL-22 tipped the balance between pathogenic and commensal bacteria in favor of a pathogen. Taken together, IL-22 induction can be exploited by pathogens to suppress the growth of their closest competitors, thereby enhancing pathogen colonization of mucosal surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Behnsen
- Department of Microbiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Stefan Jellbauer
- Department of Microbiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Christina P Wong
- Department of Microbiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Michael D George
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Wenjun Ouyang
- Department of Immunology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Manuela Raffatellu
- Department of Microbiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes causes several clinical manifestations in humans and domestic animals. This bacterium is a saprophyte in soil and ensiled feeds, which are sources of infection for food producing animals (i.e. ruminants). The most common route of infection for people is via ingestion of contaminated ready-to-eat food products such as produce, soft cheeses and deli meats. In the United States, L. monocytogenes causes relatively few cases of clinical disease compared to other food-borne pathogens. However, clinical listeriosis is associated with high mortality, especially in immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, neonates, and the elderly. Listeria is an intracellular pathogen, which has been widely used in basic research to elucidate mechanisms of molecular pathogenesis and protective cell-mediated immunity. Despite the sizeable knowledge on L. monocytogenes pathogenesis, key points regarding listeriosis during pregnancy and the perinatal period remain unknown. This review summarizes listeriosis in humans and domestic animals during pregnancy, and animal models used to study the pathogenesis and immune response to L. monocytogenes infection during these periods.
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