Lactobacillus plantarum Restores Intestinal Permeability Disrupted by Salmonella Infection in Newly-hatched Chicks

Salmonella infections in newly hatched chicks result in enteric and systemic diseases with a high mortality. Probiotics can improve the health of a host. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum LTC-113 on the gut permeability in the presence or absence of Salmonella (Salmonella Typhimurium) infection. Newly hatched chicks were randomly allocated to 4 treatments (i) NC (negative control); (ii) LAC (the L. plantarum LTC-113-treated group); (iii) SAL (the Salmonella-infected group), and (iv) LAC + SAL (the L. plantarum LTC-113-treated and Salmonella-infected group). Compared with the NC group, the intestinal permeability and claudin-2 (CLDN-2) were significantly increased, while mRNA levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and claudin-5 (CLDN-5) were significantly decreased in the SAL group. However, these changes were eliminated in the LAC + SAL group. Additionally, numbers of Salmonella in liver, spleen and ceca were significantly reduced in the LAC + SAL group compared with the SAL group. Moreover, L. plantarum LTC-113 prevented the increase of inflammatory meditators myeloperoxidase (MPO), LITAF, IL-1β, IL-6 and inflammation scores induced by Salmonella. These findings indicate that L. plantarum LTC-113 can protect hosts from Salmonella induced intestinal barrier disruption by regulating expression of tight junction genes and inflammatory meditators and decreasing Salmonella colonization.

Animal Models for Salmonellosis: Applications in Vaccine Research

Salmonellosis remains an important cause of human disease worldwide. While there are several licensed vaccines for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, these vaccines are generally ineffective against other Salmonella serovars. Vaccines that target paratyphoid and nontyphoidal Salmonella serovars are very much in need. Preclinical evaluation of candidate vaccines is highly dependent on the availability of appropriate scientific tools, particularly animal models. Many different animal models exist for various Salmonella serovars, from whole-animal models to smaller models, such as those recently established in insects. Here, we discuss various mouse, rat, rabbit, calf, primate, and insect models for Salmonella infection, all of which have their place in research. However, choosing the right model is imperative in selecting the best vaccine candidates for further clinical testing. In this minireview, we summarize the various animal models that are used to assess salmonellosis, highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of each, and discuss their value in vaccine development.

Ex vivo perfusion of the isolated rat small intestine as a novel model of Salmonella enteritis

Using an ex vivo perfused rat small intestinal model, we examined pathological changes to the tissue, inflammation induction, as well as dynamic changes to smooth muscle activity, metabolic competence, and luminal fluid accumulation during short-term infection with the enteropathogenic bacteria Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Yersinia enterocolitica. Although few effects were seen upon Yersinia infection, this system accurately modeled key aspects associated with Salmonella enteritis. Our results confirmed the importance of the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 1 (SPI1)-encoded type 3 secretion system (T3SS) in pathology, tissue invasion, inflammation induction, and fluid secretion. Novel physiological consequences of Salmonella infection of the small intestine were also identified, namely, SPI-1-dependent vasoconstriction and SPI-1-independent reduction in the digestive and absorptive functions of the epithelium. Importantly, this is the first small animal model that allows for the study of Salmonella-induced fluid secretion. Another major advantage of this model is that one can specifically determine the contribution of resident cell populations. Accordingly, we can conclude that recruited cell populations were not involved in the pathological damage, inflammation induction, fluid accumulation, nutrient absorption deficiency, and vasoconstriction observed. Although fluid loss induced by Salmonella infection is hypothesized to be due to damage caused by recruited neutrophils, our data suggest that bacterial invasion and inflammation induction in resident cell populations are sufficient for fluid loss into the lumen. In summary, this model is a novel and useful tool that allows for detailed examination of the early physiopathological effects of Salmonella infection on the small intestine.

Enhancement of immunohistochemical detection of Salmonella in tissues of experimentally infected pigs

Salmonella Typhimurium is one of the main pathogens compromising porcine and human health as well as food safety, because it is a prevailing source of foodborne infections due to contaminated pork. A prominent problem in the management of this bacteriosis is the number of subclinically infected carrier pigs. As very little is known concerning the mechanisms allowing Salmonella to persist in pigs, the objective of this study was to develop an immunohistochemical approach for the detection of salmonellae in tissue of pigs experimentally infected with Salmonella Typhimurium. Samples were obtained from a challenge trial in which piglets of the German Landrace were intragastrically infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT104 (1.4-2.1x1010 CFU). Piglets were sacrificed on days 2 and 28 post infection. Tissue samples of jejunum, ileum, colon, ileocecal mesenteric lymph nodes (Lnn. ileocolici), and tonsils (Tonsilla veli palatini) were fixed in Zamboni's fixative and paraffin-embedded. Different immunohistochemical staining protocols were evaluated. Salmonella was detected in varying amounts in the tissues. Brown iron-containing pigments in the lymph nodes interfered with the identification of Salmonella if DAB was used as a staining reagent. Detergents like Triton X-100 or Saponin enhanced the sensitivity. It seems advisable not to use a detection system with brown staining for bacteria in an experimental setup involving intestinal damage including haemorrhage. The use of detergents appears to result in a higher sensitivity in the immunohistochemical detection of salmonellae.

Bifidobacteria strains isolated from stools of iron deficient infants can efficiently sequester iron

BACKGROUND

Bifidobacteria is one of the major gut commensal groups found in infants. Their colonization is commonly associated with beneficial effects to the host through mechanisms like niche occupation and nutrient competition against pathogenic bacteria. Iron is an essential element necessary for most microorganisms, including bifidobacteria and efficient competition for this micronutrient is linked to proliferation and persistence. For this research we hypothesized that bifidobacteria in the gut of iron deficient infants can efficiently sequester iron. The aim of the present study was to isolate bifidobacteria in fecal samples of iron deficient Kenyan infants and to characterize siderophore production and iron internalization capacity.

RESULTS

Fifty-six bifidobacterial strains were isolated by streaking twenty-eight stool samples from Kenyan infants, in enrichment media. To target strains with high iron sequestration mechanisms, a strong iron chelator 2,2-dipyridyl was supplemented to the agar media. Bifidobacterial isolates were first identified to species level by 16S rRNA sequencing, yielding B. bifidum (19 isolates), B. longum (15), B. breve (11), B. kashiwanohense (7), B. pseudolongum (3) and B. pseudocatenulatum (1). While most isolated bifidobacterial species are commonly encountered in the infantile gut, B. kashiwanohense was not frequently reported in infant feces. Thirty strains from culture collections and 56 isolates were characterized for their siderophore production, tested by the CAS assay. Siderophore activity ranged from 3 to 89% siderophore units, with 35 strains (41%) exhibiting high siderophore activity, and 31 (36%) and 20 (23%) showing intermediate or low activity. The amount of internalized iron of 60 bifidobacteria strains selected for their siderophore activity, was in a broad range from 8 to118 μM Fe. Four strains, B. pseudolongum PV8-2, B. kashiwanohense PV20-2, B. bifidum PV28-2a and B. longum PV5-1 isolated from infant stool samples were selected for both high siderophore activity and iron internalization.

CONCLUSIONS

A broad diversity of bifidobacteria were isolated in infant stools using iron limited conditions, with some strains exhibiting high iron sequestration properties. The ability of bifidobacteria to efficiently utilize iron sequestration mechanism such as siderophore production and iron internalization may confer an ecological advantage and be the basis for enhanced competition against enteropathogens.

Salmonella-induced Diarrhea Occurs in the Absence of IL-8 Receptor (CXCR2)-Dependent Neutrophilic Inflammation

BACKGROUND

Gastroenteritis is the most common manifestation of nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica infections, but little is known about the pathogenesis of diarrhea in this infection

METHODS

To determine whether polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are required for diarrhea for Salmonella colitis, we infected kanamycin-pretreated interleukin 8R (IL-8R) mutant mice and controls, both with nonmutant Slc11a1 (Nramp1, ItyR). We compared the 2 mouse strains for increases in fecal water content (diarrhea) 3 days after infection, changes in expression of ion transporters in colonic epithelial cells, proliferation of epithelial cells, and severity of infection as measured by colony-forming units (CFUs).

RESULTS

The IL-8R knockout mice had fewer PMNs in the colon but the other variables we measured were unaffected except for an increase in CFUs in the colon. The pathologic changes in the cecum were similar in both groups except for the lack of PMNs in the IL-8R knockout mice. There was minimal damage to the colon more distally.

CONCLUSIONS

In the early stage of Salmonella colitis, PMNs are not required for diarrhea or for the decrease in expression of colonic epithelial cell apical ion transporters. They contribute to defense against infection in the cecum but not extracolonically at this stage of Salmonella colitis.

Pathobiology of salmonella, intestinal microbiota, and the host innate immune response

Salmonella is a relevant pathogen under a clinical and public health perspective. Therefore, there has been a significant scientific effort to learn about pathogenic determinants of this pathogen. The clinical relevance of the disease, associated with the molecular tools available to study Salmonella as well as suitable animal models for salmonellosis, have provided optimal conditions to drive the scientific community to generate a large expansion of our knowledge about the pathogenesis of Salmonella-induced enterocolitis that took place during the past two decades. This research effort has also generated a wealth of information on the host immune mechanisms that complements gaps in the fundamental research in this area. This review focus on how the interaction between Salmonella, the microbiota and intestinal innate immunity leads to disease manifestation. As a highly successful enteropathogen, Salmonella actively elicits a robust acute intestinal inflammatory response from the host, which could theoretically lead to the pathogen demise. However, Salmonella has evolved redundant molecular machineries that renders this pathogen highly adapted to the inflamed intestinal environment, in which Salmonella is capable of outcompete resident commensal organisms. The adaptation of Salmonella to the inflamed intestinal lumen associated with the massive inflammatory response that leads to diarrhea, generate perfect conditions for transmission of the pathogen. These conditions illustrate the complexity of the co-evolution and ecology of the pathogen, commensals, and the host.