Trichinella spiralis: the influence of short chain fatty acids on the proliferation of lymphocytes, the goblet cell count and apoptosis in the mouse intestine.

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the influence of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) on spleen and mesenteric lymph node lymphocyte proliferation, goblet cells and apoptosis in the mouse small intestine during invasion by Trichinella spiralis. BALB/c mice were infected with 250 larvae of T. spiralis. An SCFA water solution containing acetic, propionic and butyric acids (30:15:20 mM) was administered orally starting 5 days before infection and ending 20 days post infection (dpi). Fragments of the jejunum were collected by dissection 7 and 10 dpi, and were examined for apoptotic cells in the lamina propria of the intestinal mucosa, and for goblet cells. The proliferation index of the cultured spleen and mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes with MTT test was also determined. The orally administered SCFA solution decreased the proliferation of mesenteric lymph node lymphocytes in the mice infected with T. spiralis at both examination times, but did not influence the proliferative activity of the spleen cells. Seven dpi, both in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes, the highest proliferation index of concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated lymphocytes was found in the group of uninfected animals receiving SCFA animals. This tendency could still be seen 10 dpi in the mesenteric lymph nodes but not in the spleen, where the proliferation index in this group had significantly decreased. In vitro studies revealed, that butyric and propionic acids added to the cell cultures suppressed the proliferation of Con A-stimulated mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen lymphocytes taken from uninfected and T. spiralis-infected mice. Acetic acid stimulated proliferation of splenocytes taken from uninfected mice but did not affect lymphocyte proliferation in mesenteric lymph nodes from uninfected or infected mice. Orally administered SCFA increased the number of goblet cells found in the epithelium of the jejunum 7 dpi, but this number had decreased 10 dpi. The number of apoptotic cells in the lamina propria of the intestinal mucosa of animals infected with the T. spiralis and receiving SCFA was also lower, particularly 10 dpi. The above results show that SCFA can participate in the immune response during the course of trichinellosis in mice.

• Authors: J Piekarska, D Miśta, M Houszka, B Króliczewska, W Zawadzki, M Gorczykowski
• Journal: Experimental parasitology (Exp Parasitol) Vol. 128 Issue 4 Pg. 419-26 (Aug 2011) ISSN: 1090-2449 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21627965 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Fatty Acids, Volatile

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects, immunology)
• Cell Count
• Cells, Cultured
• Fatty Acids, Volatile (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Goblet Cells (cytology, drug effects)
• Jejunum (cytology, drug effects, pathology)
• Lymph Nodes (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
• Lymphocyte Activation (drug effects)
• Male
• Mesentery
• Mice
• Spleen (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
• Trichinella spiralis (physiology)
• Trichinellosis (immunology, pathology)