FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Pathol / Immunohistochemical localization of Clostridium perfringens ...
Veterinary pathology2003; 40(4); 376-381; doi: 10.1354/vp.40-4-376

Immunohistochemical localization of Clostridium perfringens beta2-toxin in the gastrointestinal tract of horses.

Abstract: Clostridia-associated intestinal disease in horses was generally reported to be due to infection with Clostridium perfringens type A, which harbors the cpa-encoded alpha-toxin. A recent study demonstrated a high incidence of beta2-toxigenic C. perfringens in horses suffering or dying from typhlocolitis, suggesting that this novel type of C. perfringens might play an important role in typhlocolitis and possibly other equine intestinal diseases. A retrospective study was conducted to assess the presence of the beta2-toxin in tissues of the equine gastrointestinal tract. Monospecific polyclonal antibodies against recombinant beta2-toxin were produced in rabbits and used to demonstrate the beta2-toxin in sections of the gastrointestinal tract by immunohistochemical methods. Sections from 69 horses were stained and beta2-toxin was observed immunohistochemically in 40 animals. Sections from the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine were positive. Immunopositivity for beta2-toxin was significantly associated with presence of beta2-toxigenic bacteria. This investigation demonstrates local production of beta2-toxin and suggests that immunohistochemistry using antitoxin antibodies represents a useful diagnostic method in those cases where isolation of bacteria and polymerase chain reaction typing is not feasible. Although the association between the presence of beta2-toxin and development of gastrointestinal disease in horses remains uncertain, the findings of this study indicate that the potential causal relationship warrants further investigation.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2003-06-26 PubMed ID: 12824509DOI: 10.1354/vp.40-4-376Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research focuses on identifying an association between a toxin produced by a specific bacteria and the occurrence of intestinal diseases in horses. The research discovered this toxin in several parts of the equine gastrointestinal tract and recommends that further studies should be carried out to better understand potential causal relationships between the toxin and horse diseases.

Overview of the Research

  • This research applied a retrospective study method to investigate the presence of Clostridium perfringens beta2-toxin in horse gastrointestinal tract samples.
  • The toxin is produced by a type of Clostridium perfringens bacteria, which was recently discovered to have a high incidence in horses suffering from typhlocolitis, a severe intestinal inflammation.
  • Previous reports mostly attributed clostridia-associated intestinal disease in horses to a different type of the bacteria that produces an alpha-toxin.

Research Methodology

  • Monospecific polyclary antibodies, produced in rabbits, were used against beta2-toxin to identify its presence in gastrointestinal tract sections. This process is known as immunohistochemistry.
  • The study used tissue samples from 69 horses, with the toxin being observed in 40 of these samples.
  • The toxin was found in sections from the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.

Findings and Implications

  • The study found that the presence of beta2-toxin in horse tissues was significantly associated with the presence of beta2-toxigenic bacteria, which supports the idea of local production of the toxin within the infected horse.
  • The research underscores that using antitoxin antibodies in immunohistochemistry is a potentially useful diagnostic tool when it’s not possible to isolate bacteria and conduct Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) typing, a procedure to multiply and identify tiny amounts of DNA.
  • While the relationship between the presence of beta2-toxin and the occurrence of equine gastrointestinal diseases remains to be definitively proven, the researchers argue that the results of this study justify further investigation into such relationships.

Cite This Article

APA
Bacciarini LN, Boerlin P, Straub R, Frey J, Gröne A. (2003). Immunohistochemical localization of Clostridium perfringens beta2-toxin in the gastrointestinal tract of horses. Vet Pathol, 40(4), 376-381. https://doi.org/10.1354/vp.40-4-376

Publication

Veterinary pathology
ISSN: 0300-9858
NlmUniqueID: 0312020
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 40
Issue: 4
Pages: 376-381

Researcher Affiliations

Bacciarini, L N
  • Institut für Tierpathologie, Universität Bern, Berne, Switzerland. luca.bacciarini@ti.ch
Boerlin, P
    Straub, R
      Frey, J
        Gröne, A

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • Bacterial Toxins / isolation & purification
          • Clostridium perfringens / metabolism
          • Digestive System / microbiology
          • Female
          • Horse Diseases / microbiology
          • Horses
          • Immunohistochemistry
          • Male

          Citations

          This article has been cited 17 times.
          1. Haywood LMB, Sheahan BJ. A Review of Epithelial Ion Transporters and Their Roles in Equine Infectious Colitis. Vet Sci 2024 Oct 7;11(10).
            doi: 10.3390/vetsci11100480pubmed: 39453072google scholar: lookup
          2. Gao X, Wang P, Yan Z, Yang Q, Huang X, Zhang S, Gun S. Molecular characterization and function of JAK/STAT pathway in IPEC-J2 cells during Clostridium perfringens beta2 toxin stimulation. Vet Res Commun 2023 Sep;47(3):1177-1184.
            doi: 10.1007/s11259-023-10118-wpubmed: 37436554google scholar: lookup
          3. Yang J, Yang Q, Huang X, Yan Z, Wang P, Gao X, Li J, Gun S. METTL3-Mediated LncRNA EN_42575 m6A Modification Alleviates CPB2 Toxin-Induced Damage in IPEC-J2 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023 Mar 16;24(6).
            doi: 10.3390/ijms24065725pubmed: 36982798google scholar: lookup
          4. Yang J, Zhang J, Gao X, Luo R, Xie K, Wang W, Li J, Yang Q, Huang X, Yan Z, Wang P, Gun S. FTO Regulates Apoptosis in CPB2-Treated IPEC-J2 Cells by Targeting Caspase 3 Apoptotic Protein. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jun 26;12(13).
            doi: 10.3390/ani12131644pubmed: 35804542google scholar: lookup
          5. Goossens E, Valgaeren BR, Pardon B, Haesebrouck F, Ducatelle R, Deprez PR, Van Immerseel F. Rethinking the role of alpha toxin in Clostridium perfringens-associated enteric diseases: a review on bovine necro-haemorrhagic enteritis. Vet Res 2017 Feb 16;48(1):9.
            doi: 10.1186/s13567-017-0413-xpubmed: 28209206google scholar: lookup
          6. Zeng J, Song F, Yang Y, Ma C, Deng G, Li Y, Wang Y, Liu X. The Generation and Characterization of Recombinant Protein and Antibodies of Clostridium perfringens Beta2 Toxin. J Immunol Res 2016;2016:5708468.
            doi: 10.1155/2016/5708468pubmed: 27672668google scholar: lookup
          7. Uzal FA, Diab SS. Gastritis, Enteritis, and Colitis in Horses. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2015 Aug;31(2):337-58.
            doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2015.04.006pubmed: 26048413google scholar: lookup
          8. Mehdizadeh Gohari I, Parreira VR, Nowell VJ, Nicholson VM, Oliphant K, Prescott JF. A novel pore-forming toxin in type A Clostridium perfringens is associated with both fatal canine hemorrhagic gastroenteritis and fatal foal necrotizing enterocolitis. PLoS One 2015;10(4):e0122684.
            doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122684pubmed: 25853427google scholar: lookup
          9. Uzal FA, Vidal JE, McClane BA, Gurjar AA. Clostridium Perfringens Toxins Involved in Mammalian Veterinary Diseases. Open Toxinology J 2010;2:24-42.
            pubmed: 24511335
          10. Gohari IM, Arroyo L, Macinnes JI, Timoney JF, Parreira VR, Prescott JF. Characterization of Clostridium perfringens in the feces of adult horses and foals with acute enterocolitis. Can J Vet Res 2014 Jan;78(1):1-7.
            pubmed: 24396174
          11. Schoster A, Arroyo LG, Staempfli HR, Shewen PE, Weese JS. Presence and molecular characterization of Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens in intestinal compartments of healthy horses. BMC Vet Res 2012 Jun 29;8:94.
            doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-94pubmed: 22748233google scholar: lookup
          12. Miyakawa ME, Saputo J, Leger JS, Puschner B, Fisher DJ, McClane BA, Uzal FA. Necrotizing enterocolitis and death in a goat kid associated with enterotoxin (CPE)-producing Clostridium perfringens type A. Can Vet J 2007 Dec;48(12):1266-9.
            pubmed: 18189049
          13. Keyburn AL, Sheedy SA, Ford ME, Williamson MM, Awad MM, Rood JI, Moore RJ. Alpha-toxin of Clostridium perfringens is not an essential virulence factor in necrotic enteritis in chickens. Infect Immun 2006 Nov;74(11):6496-500.
            doi: 10.1128/IAI.00806-06pubmed: 16923791google scholar: lookup
          14. Bai JN, Zhang Y, Zhao BH. Cloning of alpha-beta fusion gene from Clostridium perfringens and its expression. World J Gastroenterol 2006 Feb 28;12(8):1229-34.
            doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i8.1229pubmed: 16534876google scholar: lookup
          15. Harrison B, Raju D, Garmory HS, Brett MM, Titball RW, Sarker MR. Molecular characterization of Clostridium perfringens isolates from humans with sporadic diarrhea: evidence for transcriptional regulation of the beta2-toxin-encoding gene. Appl Environ Microbiol 2005 Dec;71(12):8362-70.
            doi: 10.1128/AEM.71.12.8362-8370.2005pubmed: 16332823google scholar: lookup
          16. Waters M, Raju D, Garmory HS, Popoff MR, Sarker MR. Regulated expression of the beta2-toxin gene (cpb2) in Clostridium perfringens type a isolates from horses with gastrointestinal diseases. J Clin Microbiol 2005 Aug;43(8):4002-9.
            doi: 10.1128/JCM.43.8.4002-4009.2005pubmed: 16081942google scholar: lookup
          17. Jost BH, Billington SJ, Trinh HT, Bueschel DM, Songer JG. Atypical cpb2 genes, encoding beta2-toxin in Clostridium perfringens isolates of nonporcine origin. Infect Immun 2005 Jan;73(1):652-6.
            doi: 10.1128/IAI.73.1.652-656.2005pubmed: 15618211google scholar: lookup
          Subscribe to our newsletter
          Join 99,048 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.