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Collantes-Fernández E, Horcajo P, Benavides J, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Blanco-Murcia J, Montaner-Da Torre S, Hecker YP, Ortega-Mora LM, Pastor-Fernández I. Evaluating the suitability of placental bovine explants for ex vivo modelling of host-pathogen interactions in Neospora caninum infections. Theriogenology 2024; 230:305-313. [PMID: 39368452 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.10.003] [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: 07/23/2024] [Revised: 10/02/2024] [Accepted: 10/03/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024]
Abstract
Bovine abortions, often caused by infectious agents like Neospora caninum, inflict substantial economic losses. Studying host-pathogen interactions in pregnant cows is challenging, and existing cell cultures lack the intricate complexity of real tissues. To bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo models, we explored the use of cryopreserved bovine placental explants. Building upon our successful development of protocols for obtaining, culturing, and cryopreserving sheep placental explants, we applied these methods to bovine tissues. Here, we compared fresh and cryopreserved bovine explants, evaluating their integrity and functionality over culture time. Additionally, we investigated their susceptibility to N. caninum infection. Our findings revealed that bovine explants deteriorate faster in culture compared to sheep explants, exhibiting diminished viability and function. Cryopreservation further exacerbated this deterioration. While fresh explants were successfully infected with N. caninum, parasite replication was limited. Notably, cryopreservation reduced infection efficiency. This pioneering work paves the way for developing ex vivo models to study reproductive pathogens in cattle. However, further optimization of the model is essential. These improved models will have the potential to significantly reduce the reliance on animals in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Javier Blanco-Murcia
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Animal Medicine and Surgery Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sandra Montaner-Da Torre
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Yanina P Hecker
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Iván Pastor-Fernández
- SALUVET Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Parasitology Unit, Microbiology and Parasitology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
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Horcajo P, Ortega-Mora LM, Benavides J, Sánchez-Sánchez R, Amieva R, Collantes-Fernández E, Pastor-Fernández I. Ovine placental explants: A new ex vivo model to study host‒pathogen interactions in reproductive pathogens. Theriogenology 2023; 212:157-171. [PMID: 37729817 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive failure is one of the main performance constraints in ruminant livestock. Transmissible agents such as Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are commonly involved in the occurrence of abortion in ruminants, but little is known about the mechanisms involved. While in vivo models are optimal for the study of abortion pathogenesis, they have a high economic cost and come with ethical concerns. Unfortunately, alternative in vitro models fail to replicate the complex in vivo placental structure. To overcome the limitations of currently available models, we developed an ex vivo model based on the cultivation of fresh and cryopreserved sheep placental explants, enabling the biobanking of tissues. Reproducible and simple markers of tissue integrity (histology, RNA concentrations), viability (resazurin reduction), and functionality (synthesis of steroid hormones) were also investigated, allowing a clear quality assessment of the model. This work shows that, similar to fresh explants, tissues cryopreserved in ethylene glycol using slow freezing rates maintain not only their structure and function but also their receptivity to T. gondii and N. caninum infection. In addition, the findings demonstrate that explant lifespan is mainly limited by the culture method, with protocols requiring improvements to extend it beyond 2 days. These findings suggest that cryopreserved tissues can be exploited to study the initial host‒pathogen interactions taking place in the placenta, thus deepening the knowledge of the specific mechanisms that trigger reproductive failure in sheep. Importantly, this work paves the way for the development of similar models in related species and contributes to the reduction of experimental animal use in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Horcajo
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Julio Benavides
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Grulleros, León, 24346, Spain.
| | - Roberto Sánchez-Sánchez
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rafael Amieva
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Esther Collantes-Fernández
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Iván Pastor-Fernández
- SALUVET group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
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Pastor-Fernández I, Collantes-Fernández E, Jiménez-Pelayo L, Ortega-Mora LM, Horcajo P. Modeling the Ruminant Placenta-Pathogen Interactions in Apicomplexan Parasites: Current and Future Perspectives. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:634458. [PMID: 33553293 PMCID: PMC7859336 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.634458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii are one of the main concerns of the livestock sector as they cause important economic losses in ruminants due to the reproductive failure. It is well-known that the interaction of these parasites with the placenta determines the course of infection, leading to fetal death or parasite transmission to the offspring. However, to advance the development of effective vaccines and treatments, there are still important gaps on knowledge on the placental host-parasite interactions that need to be addressed. Ruminant animal models are still an indispensable tool for providing a global view of the pathogenesis, lesions, and immune responses, but their utilization embraces important economic and ethics restrictions. Alternative in vitro systems based on caruncular and trophoblast cells, the key cellular components of placentomes, have emerged in the last years, but their use can only offer a partial view of the processes triggered after infection as they cannot mimic the complex placental architecture and neglect the activity of resident immune cells. These drawbacks could be solved using placental explants, broadly employed in human medicine, and able to preserve its cellular architecture and function. Despite the availability of such materials is constrained by their short shelf-life, the development of adequate cryopreservation protocols could expand their use for research purposes. Herein, we review and discuss existing (and potential) in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo ruminant placental models that have proven useful to unravel the pathogenic mechanisms and the host immune responses responsible for fetal death (or protection) caused by neosporosis and toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Pilar Horcajo
- Animal Health and Zoonoses (SALUVET) Group, Animal Health Department, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Fernández AG, Hielpos MS, Ferrero MC, Fossati CA, Baldi PC. Proinflammatory response of canine trophoblasts to Brucella canis infection. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186561. [PMID: 29036184 PMCID: PMC5643107 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella canis infection is an important cause of late-term abortion in pregnant bitches. The pathophysiological mechanisms leading to B. canis-induced abortion are unknown, but heavily infected trophoblasts are consistently observed. As trophoblasts responses to other pathogens contribute to placental inflammation leading to abortion, the aim of the present study was to characterize the cytokine response of canine trophoblasts to B. canis infection. To achieve this, trophoblasts isolated from term placenta of healthy female dogs were infected with B. canis, culture supernatants were harvested for cytokine determinations, and the load of intracellular viable B. canis was determined at different times post-infection. Additionally, cytokine responses were assessed in non-infected trophoblasts stimulated with conditioned media (CM) from B. canis-infected canine monocytes and neutrophils. Finally, cytokine response and bacteria replication were assessed in canine placental explants infected ex vivo. B. canis successfully infected and replicated in primary canine trophoblasts, eliciting an increase in IL-8 and RANTES (CCL5) secretion. Moreover, the stimulation of trophoblasts with CM from B. canis-infected monocytes and neutrophils induced a significant increase in IL-8, IL-6 and RANTES secretion. B. canis replication was confirmed in infected placental explants and the infection elicited an increased secretion of TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6 and RANTES. This study shows that canine trophoblasts produce proinflammatory cytokines in response to B. canis infection and/or to stimulation with factors produced by infected monocytes and neutrophils. These cytokines may contribute to placental inflammation leading to abortion in B. canis-infected pregnant bitches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G. Fernández
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Inmunología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral (IDEHU), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M. Soledad Hielpos
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Inmunología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral (IDEHU), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana C. Ferrero
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Inmunología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral (IDEHU), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos A. Fossati
- Instituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológicos (IIFP, CONICET-UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Pablo C. Baldi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Inmunología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral (IDEHU), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Placental Evolution within the Supraordinal Clades of Eutheria with the Perspective of Alternative Animal Models for Human Placentation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1155/2014/639274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Here a survey of placental evolution is conducted. Placentation is a key factor for the evolution of placental mammals that had evolved an astonishing diversity. As a temporary organ that does not allow easy access, it is still not well understood. The lack of data also is a restriction for better understanding of placental development, structure, and function in the human. Animal models are essential, because experimental access to the human placenta is naturally restricted. However, there is not a single ideal model that is entirely similar to humans. It is particularly important to establish other models than the mouse, which is characterised by a short gestation period and poorly developed neonates that may provide insights only for early human pregnancy. In conclusion, current evolutionary studies have contributed essentially to providing a pool of experimental models for recent and future approaches that may also meet the requirements of a long gestation period and advanced developmental status of the newborn in the human. Suitability and limitations of taxa as alternative animal models are discussed. However, further investigations especially in wildlife taxa should be conducted in order to learn more about the full evolutionary plasticity of the placenta system.
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