Pathogenesis of Babesia caballi infection in experimental horses.
Abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of Babesia caballi in experimentally infected horses. The expression of cytokine mRNA was determined by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in two B. caballi-infected horses for 2 weeks after the infection. In one horse, there was up-regulation of interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-2 mRNAs, while in the second horse, expression of only TNF-alpha mRNA was up-regulated. No change was observed in interleukin-4 mRNA in both of the horses. To know the relation between nitric oxide (NO) production and pathogenesis, NO production was assayed in three dexamethasone treated-B. caballi-infected horses. Production of NO in all 3 horses increased significantly before death, although the parasitemia level remained very low. Treatment with NO inhibitor resulted in the suppression of NO production and increased parasitemia level in a horse, which died of the infection. The pathological examination showed that the main cause of the death was dyspnoea and pulmonary edema. Histopathologically, diffuse global mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis was also observed. These results suggested that NO may be a critical effector molecule of immune defense against parasite. TNF-alpha and NO might be contributing to the pathogenesis in B. caballi infection.
Publication Date: 1998-11-20 PubMed ID: 9819767DOI: 10.1292/jvms.60.1127Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research paper discusses a study exploring the roles of different cytokines in the progression of Babesia caballi infection in horses. Prominent findings include the up-regulation of certain cytokines post-infection and increased nitric oxide levels before death, possibly linked to dyspnea and pulmonary edema.
Study Design and Methodology
- The researchers sought to understand how cytokines, messenger proteins that perform a crucial role in cellular signaling in the immune system, affect the progression of Babesia caballi infection, a parasitic ailment in horses.
- The study involved experimentally infecting horses with Babesia caballi and monitoring changes in the expression of various cytokines by using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, a method widely used to amplify and measure RNA sequences.
Cytokine Expression Patterns
- The study found variable results in cytokine expression among the two infected horses. One horse showed increased expression levels of interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-2 mRNA. The other horse, however, only demonstrated up-regulation of TNF-alpha mRNA.
- Interestingly, both horses showed no changes in the expression of interleukin-4 mRNA.
Nitric Oxide Production
- The role of nitric oxide (NO), a free radical that plays a part in host-parasite relations, was also considered. The team tracked NO production in three Babesia caballi-infected horses treated with dexamethasone.
- The data showed a significant rise in NO production before death in all three horses, contrasting with very low levels of parasitemia (the presence of parasites in the blood).
- Also, when the horses were treated with an NO inhibitor, NO production was suppressed while parasitemia levels increased in a horse that succumbed to the infection.
Pathological Findings
- Pathological examination found that the primary cause of death was respiratory trouble (dyspnoea) and fluid buildup in the lungs (pulmonary edema).
- Additionally, the horses showed diffuse global mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney inflammation, upon histopathological examination.
- These findings suggest that nitric oxide is a crucial factor in immune defense against parasites. TNF-alpha and nitric oxide also appear to contribute to the progression of Babesia caballi infection.
Cite This Article
APA
Hanafusa Y, Cho KO, Kanemaru T, Wada R, Sugimoto C, Onuma M.
(1998).
Pathogenesis of Babesia caballi infection in experimental horses.
J Vet Med Sci, 60(10), 1127-1132.
https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.60.1127 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Babesia / genetics
- Babesia / pathogenicity
- Babesiosis / complications
- Babesiosis / immunology
- Babesiosis / parasitology
- Cytokines / biosynthesis
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Nitric Oxide / biosynthesis
- Pulmonary Edema / etiology
- Pulmonary Edema / mortality
- Pulmonary Edema / veterinary
- RNA, Messenger / metabolism
- Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics
- Up-Regulation
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Mshelia PW, Kappmeyer L, Johnson WC, Kudi CA, Oluyinka OO, Balogun EO, Richard EE, Onoja E, Sears KP, Ueti MW. Molecular detection of Theileria species and Babesia caballi from horses in Nigeria. Parasitol Res 2020 Sep;119(9):2955-2963.
- Onyiche TE, Suganuma K, Igarashi I, Yokoyama N, Xuan X, Thekisoe O. A Review on Equine Piroplasmosis: Epidemiology, Vector Ecology, Risk Factors, Host Immunity, Diagnosis and Control. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 May 16;16(10).
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