Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet Model
Enterohemorrhagic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (EHEC), a pathogenic subset of Shiga toxin-producing <i>E. coli</i> (STEC), is an important cause of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic−uremic syndrome (HUS), and a rare cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) with associate...
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MDPI AG
2020-02-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/263 |
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| author | Rodney A. Moxley Tom W. Bargar Stephen D. Kachman Diane R. Baker David H. Francis |
| author_facet | Rodney A. Moxley Tom W. Bargar Stephen D. Kachman Diane R. Baker David H. Francis |
| author_sort | Rodney A. Moxley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Enterohemorrhagic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (EHEC), a pathogenic subset of Shiga toxin-producing <i>E. coli</i> (STEC), is an important cause of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic−uremic syndrome (HUS), and a rare cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) with associated HUS. EHEC strains attach intimately to intestinal epithelium with formation of actin pedestals (attaching-effacing (A/E) lesions); however, the mechanism of EHEC attachment to the uroepithelium is unknown. We conducted a retrospective study on archived urinary bladder specimens from gnotobiotic piglets that naturally developed cystitis associated with EHEC O157:H7 infection following oral inoculation and fecal shedding. Paraffin-embedded bladder tissues from three piglets with cystitis and immunohistochemical evidence of EHEC O157:H7 adherence to the uroepithelium were processed for and examined by transmission electron microscopy. EHEC O157:H7 bacteria were found in one of three piglets, intimately attached to pedestals on the apical surfaces of the superficial urothelium (umbrella cells). Cystitis was significantly associated with the length of survival of the piglets post-inoculation (<i>p</i> = 0.0339; estimated odds ratio = 2.6652). This is the first report of <i>E. coli</i> causing A/E-like lesions in the uroepithelium, and also evidence of the utility of the gnotobiotic piglet as a model for studies of the pathogenesis of EHEC UTIs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:15:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2ae876b09f514304b2c01f22f2f8239e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T08:15:26Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-2ae876b09f514304b2c01f22f2f8239e2022-12-21T19:47:08ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072020-02-018226310.3390/microorganisms8020263microorganisms8020263Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet ModelRodney A. Moxley0Tom W. Bargar1Stephen D. Kachman2Diane R. Baker3David H. Francis4School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0905, USAElectron Microscopy Core Facility, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6395, USADepartment of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0963, USADepartment of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USADepartment of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USAEnterohemorrhagic <i>Escherichia coli</i> (EHEC), a pathogenic subset of Shiga toxin-producing <i>E. coli</i> (STEC), is an important cause of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic−uremic syndrome (HUS), and a rare cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) with associated HUS. EHEC strains attach intimately to intestinal epithelium with formation of actin pedestals (attaching-effacing (A/E) lesions); however, the mechanism of EHEC attachment to the uroepithelium is unknown. We conducted a retrospective study on archived urinary bladder specimens from gnotobiotic piglets that naturally developed cystitis associated with EHEC O157:H7 infection following oral inoculation and fecal shedding. Paraffin-embedded bladder tissues from three piglets with cystitis and immunohistochemical evidence of EHEC O157:H7 adherence to the uroepithelium were processed for and examined by transmission electron microscopy. EHEC O157:H7 bacteria were found in one of three piglets, intimately attached to pedestals on the apical surfaces of the superficial urothelium (umbrella cells). Cystitis was significantly associated with the length of survival of the piglets post-inoculation (<i>p</i> = 0.0339; estimated odds ratio = 2.6652). This is the first report of <i>E. coli</i> causing A/E-like lesions in the uroepithelium, and also evidence of the utility of the gnotobiotic piglet as a model for studies of the pathogenesis of EHEC UTIs.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/263shiga toxin-producing <i>e. coli</i>enterohemorrhagic <i>e. coli</i>attaching-effacingpedestalsurinary tract infectioncystitispigsgnotobiotic piglets |
| spellingShingle | Rodney A. Moxley Tom W. Bargar Stephen D. Kachman Diane R. Baker David H. Francis Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet Model Microorganisms shiga toxin-producing <i>e. coli</i> enterohemorrhagic <i>e. coli</i> attaching-effacing pedestals urinary tract infection cystitis pigs gnotobiotic piglets |
| title | Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet Model |
| title_full | Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet Model |
| title_fullStr | Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet Model |
| title_short | Intimate Attachment of <i>Escherichia coli</i> O157:H7 to Urinary Bladder Epithelium in the Gnotobiotic Piglet Model |
| title_sort | intimate attachment of i escherichia coli i o157 h7 to urinary bladder epithelium in the gnotobiotic piglet model |
| topic | shiga toxin-producing <i>e. coli</i> enterohemorrhagic <i>e. coli</i> attaching-effacing pedestals urinary tract infection cystitis pigs gnotobiotic piglets |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/2/263 |
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