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Home / Equine Research Bank / Can J Vet Res / Species-specificity of equine and porcine Lawsonia intracell...
Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire2013; 77(4); 261-272;

Species-specificity of equine and porcine Lawsonia intracellularis isolates in laboratory animals.

Abstract: Lawsonia intracellularis infection causes proliferative enteropathy (PE) in many mammalian species, with porcine and equine proliferative enteropathy (PPE and EPE) known worldwide. Hamsters are a well-published animal model for PPE infection studies in pigs. There is no laboratory animal model for EPE infection studies and it is not known whether there is species-specificity for equine or porcine isolates of L. intracellularis in animal models. The objective of this study was to determine whether it is possible to generate typical EPE lesions in hamsters after inoculation with an equine strain of L. intracellularis (EPE strain) and whether it is comparatively possible to generate PPE lesions in rabbits after inoculation with a porcine strain of L. intracellularis (PPE strain). In 2 separate trials, 4-week-old and 3-week-old weanling golden Syrian hamsters were challenged with EPE strains and compared to uninfected (both trials) and PPE-infected controls (Trial 2 only). Concurrently, 6 female New Zealand white juvenile rabbits were infected with PPE strain and observed concomitantly to 8 similar rabbits infected with EPE strain for a different experiment. Hamsters and rabbits were observed for 21 to 24 days post-infection (DPI), depending on the experiment. Neither infected species developed clinical signs. The presence of disease was assessed with diagnostic techniques classically used for pigs and horses: immune-peroxidase monolayer assay on sera; quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection of molecular DNA in feces; and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on intestinal tissues. Our results showed that EPE-challenged hamsters do not develop infection when compared with PPE controls (IHC, P = 0.009; qPCR, P = 0.0003). Conversely, PPE-challenged rabbits do not develop typical intestinal lesions in comparison to EPE-challenged rabbits, with serological response at 14 DPI being significantly lower (P = 0.0023). In conclusion, PPE and EPE strains appear to have different host-specificities for hamsters and rabbits, respectively. L’infection par Lawsonia intracellularis provoque une entéropathie proliférative chez de nombreuses espèces de mammifères; celle des porcins (EPP) et des équidés (EEP) sont connues mondialement. Les hamsters sont un modèle animal bien connu pour l’étude de l’EPP. Il n’existe pas de modèle animal de laboratoire pour étudier l’EEP, et on ne sait pas s’il y a spécificité d’espèce pour les isolats équins ou porcins de L. intracellularis dans des modèles animaux. L’objectif de la présente étude était de déterminer s’il est possible de générer des lésions typiques d’EEP chez les hamsters après inoculation d’une souche équine de L. intracellularis (souche EEP) et s’il est également possible de générer des lésions d’EPP chez des lapins après inoculation d’une souche porcine de L. intracellularis (souche EPP). Dans 2 essais séparés, des hamsters dorés syriens sevrés âgés de 4 semaines et de 3 semaines ont été inoculés avec des souches EEP, et ont été comparés à des témoins non infectés (les deux essais) et à des témoins infectés avec EPP (essai 2 seulement). Parallèlement, 6 jeunes lapines Nouvelle-Zélande ont été infectées par la souche EEP et observées de façon concomitante à 8 lapins similaires infectés par la souche EPP pour une expérience différente. Les hamsters et les lapins ont été observés pendant 21 à 24 jours après l’infection (JAI), en fonction de l’expérience. Aucune des espèces infectées n’a développé de signes cliniques. La présence de maladie a été évaluée par des techniques classiques de diagnostic utilisées pour les porcs et les chevaux : l’essai par immuno-peroxydase sur monocouche pour les sérums; la détection par réaction d’amplification en chaîne par la polymérase quantitative (qPCR) de l’ADN moléculaire dans les selles; la coloration hématoxyline-éosine et l’immunohistochimie (IHC) sur des tissus intestinaux. Nos résultats ont montré que les hamsters inoculés avec EEP ne développent pas d’infection comparativement aux EPP témoins (IHC P = 0,009; qPCR P = 0,0003). À l’inverse, les lapins inoculés avec EPP ne développent pas des lésions intestinales typiques comparativement aux lapins inoculés avec EEP, avec une réponse sérologique à 14 JAI significativement plus faible (P = 0,0023). En conclusion, les souches d’EPP et d’EEP semblent avoir des spécificités d’hôte différentes chez les hamsters et les lapins, respectivement.(Traduit par Dr. J.M. Dhillon).
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Publication Date: 2013-10-15 PubMed ID: 24124268PubMed Central: PMC3788657
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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.

The research conducted seeks to determine the species-specificity of strains of Lawsonia intracellularis, the bacteria which causes proliferative enteropathy (PE) in pigs and horses. The experiment involved testing the infectivity of equine and porcine strains of L. intracellularis in hamsters and rabbits, in an effort to establish laboratory animal models for the disease.

Objectives and Methodology

  • The primary objective of this study was to determine the degree to which an equine strain of L. intracellularis could cause typical proliferative enteropathy lesions in hamsters, and to comparatively determine whether a porcine strain of the bacterium could cause such lesions in rabbits.
  • The tests were conducted in two independent trials where golden Syrian hamsters of different age groups were inoculated with the equine strain of the bacterium (EPE strain).
  • The infected hamsters were then compared with uninfected ones, as well as with hamsters infected with the porcine strain (PPE strain) in the second trial. Simultaneously, juvenile New Zealand white rabbits were infected with the PPE strain and observed in parallel with rabbits infected with the EPE strain.
  • The presence of the disease was checked using diagnostic techniques typically used for pigs and horses, such as immune-peroxidase monolayer assay on sera, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection of molecular DNA in feces, and histological examination of intestinal tissues.

Findings and Conclusion

  • Neither of the infected species exhibited clinical signs of infection.
  • Hamsters infected with the EPE strain did not develop infection when compared with PPE-infected controls as observed from IHC (P = 0.009) and qPCR results (P = 0.0003).
  • Conversely, rabbits infected with the PPE strain did not develop typical intestinal lesions compared to EPE-challenged rabbits, with a significantly lower serological response at 14 days post infection (DPI) (P = 0.0023).
  • This led the researchers to conclude that the porcine and equine strains of L. intracellularis appear to have different host specificities in relation to hamsters and rabbits respectively, implying a high level of species-specificity of these bacterial strains.

Cite This Article

APA
Sampieri F, Vannucci FA, Allen AL, Pusterla N, Antonopoulos AJ, Ball KR, Thompson J, Dowling PM, Hamilton DL, Gebhart CJ. (2013). Species-specificity of equine and porcine Lawsonia intracellularis isolates in laboratory animals. Can J Vet Res, 77(4), 261-272.

Publication

Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire
ISSN: 1928-9022
NlmUniqueID: 8607793
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 77
Issue: 4
Pages: 261-272

Researcher Affiliations

Sampieri, Francesca
  • Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences (Sampieri, Antonopoulos, Ball, Dowling, Hamilton) and Department of Veterinary Pathology (Allen), Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4; Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA (Vannucci, Gebhart); Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA (Pusterla); Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Thompson).
Vannucci, Fabio A
    Allen, Andrew L
      Pusterla, Nicola
        Antonopoulos, Aphroditi J
          Ball, Katherine R
            Thompson, Julie
              Dowling, Patricia M
                Hamilton, Don L
                  Gebhart, Connie J

                    MeSH Terms

                    • Animals
                    • Cricetinae
                    • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
                    • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
                    • Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / immunology
                    • Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / microbiology
                    • Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / veterinary
                    • Disease Models, Animal
                    • Feces / microbiology
                    • Female
                    • Horse Diseases / immunology
                    • Horse Diseases / microbiology
                    • Horses
                    • Immunohistochemistry / veterinary
                    • Intestinal Diseases / immunology
                    • Intestinal Diseases / microbiology
                    • Intestinal Diseases / veterinary
                    • Lawsonia Bacteria / genetics
                    • Lawsonia Bacteria / isolation & purification
                    • Mesocricetus
                    • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
                    • Rabbits
                    • Random Allocation
                    • Species Specificity
                    • Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
                    • Statistics, Nonparametric
                    • Swine
                    • Swine Diseases / immunology
                    • Swine Diseases / microbiology

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                    Citations

                    This article has been cited 8 times.
                    1. Suarez-Duarte ME, Laub RP, Santos RL, Pereira CER, Resende TP, Araujo MD, Correia PA, Barbosa JCR, Guedes RMC. New Method for Lawsonia intracelullaris Quantification Based on Optical Density by Spectrophotometry. Microorganisms 2025 Mar 3;13(3).
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                    2. Suarez-Duarte ME, Santos RL, Pereira CER, Resende TP, Araujo MD, Correia PA, Barbosa JCR, Laub RP, Rodrigues DLN, Aburjaile FF, Guedes RMC. In Silico Evaluation of Lawsonia intracellularis Genes Orthologous to Genes Associated with Pathogenesis in Other Intracellular Bacteria. Microorganisms 2024 Aug 6;12(8).
                      doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12081596pubmed: 39203437google scholar: lookup
                    3. Daniel AGS, Pereira CER, Dorella F, Pereira FL, Laub RP, Andrade MR, Barrera-Zarate JA, Gabardo MP, Otoni LVA, Macedo NR, Correia PA, Costa CM, Vasconcellos AO, Wagatsuma MM, Marostica TP, Figueiredo HCP, Guedes RMC. Synergic Effect of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and Lawsonia intracellularis Coinfection: Anatomopathological and Microbiome Evaluation. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 13;13(16).
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