Interleukin-12p40 contributes to protection against lung injury after oral Yersinia enterocolitica infection.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The impact of Yersinia enterocolitica on lung is incompletely understood, so we studied the inflammatory effects of Yersinia oral infection and the influence of IL-12p40 deficiency.

METHODS:

Wild-type (WT) and IL-12p40-/- (KO) mice were orally infected with Y. enterocolitica 0:3. After 3 and 21 days, cell viability in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, inflammatory reactions, lipid hydroperoxides, antioxidant enzyme expression and histological changes were studied.

RESULTS:

An effect on the lung was demonstrated by changes in lactate dehydrogenase, total protein (p <0.001), nitrosative stress and increase numbers of lymphocyte in the BAL fluid. All of these appeared to be IL-12 - independent since statistically significant changes in response to infection (at 21 days) did not differ between WT and KO groups. However, a protective role of IL-12 after infection was suggested by a decrease in cell viability, histopathological changes, different cell populations, higher lipid peroxidation and a decrease in antioxidant enzymes - glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase-2 (p <0.05). The main changes were detected at day 21 suggesting a chronic effect of Yersinia infection and that IL-12 could play a role in the protection against chronic sequelae in the lung.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results demonstrate that Y. enterocolitica infection may induce inflammatory response in lung and that IL-12p40 could contribute to protection against lung injury.

• Authors: J G Gutiérrez, S R Valdez, S Di Genaro, N N Gómez
• Journal: Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] (Inflamm Res) Vol. 57 Issue 11 Pg. 504-11 (Nov 2008) ISSN: 1023-3830 [Print] Switzerland
• PMID: 18827969 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Interleukin-12 Subunit p40
• L-Lactate Dehydrogenase

Topics

• Animals
• Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (chemistry, cytology)
• Cell Survival
• Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 (physiology)
• L-Lactate Dehydrogenase (metabolism)
• Lung Injury (prevention & control)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Oxidative Stress
• Yersinia Infections (complications)
• Yersinia enterocolitica (isolation & purification)