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In vivo CNS infection model of Acanthamoeba genotype T4: the early stages of infection lack presence of host inflammatory response and are a slow and contact-dependent process

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Abstract

This study was developed in order to describe the early morphological events observed during the invasion of two pathogenic strains of Acanthamoeba (genotype T4); A. castellanii and A. culbertsoni, at the olfactory meatus and cerebral, pulmonary, renal, hepatic and splenic tissues levels, an in vivo invasion study. Histological and immunohistochemical description of the events at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h postintranasal inoculations of BALB/c mice was performed. A. castellanii showed a higher invasion rate than A. culbertsoni, which was only able to reach lung and brain tissue in the in vivo model. The current study supports previous evidence of lack of inflammatory response during the early stages of infection. Acanthamoeba invasion of the CNS and other organs is a slow and contact-dependent process. The early morphological events during the invasion of amoebae include the penetration of trophozoites into different epithelia: olfactory, respiratory, alveolar space, and renal tubule, which resemble the process of amoebae invasion described in corneal tissue. The data suggest that after reaching the nasal epithelium, trophozoites continued invasion, separating and lifting the most superficial cells, then migrating and penetrating between the cell junctions without causing a cytolytic effect on adjacent cells. These results reaffirm the idea that contact-dependent mechanisms are relevant for amoebae of Acanthamoeba genus regardless of the invasion site.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the UNAM-FESI grant no. FESI-DIP-PAPCA-2014-13. We deeply appreciate the valuable support of Lizbeth Salazar Villatoro for her technical assistance in amoebae cultures, Miriam Romero Grijalva for her assistance in handling mice, and Carmen Guadalupe Mondragon Huerta and Leticia Verdín Terán for their immunohistochemistry assistance. Finally we thank Maria Rosa Avila responsible for the Neuromorphology Laboratory, of the School of Superior Studies Iztacala, National Autonomous University of Mexico, for providing the equipment to carry out the histological processes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Superiors Studies Iztacala, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 54090, Mexico City, Mexico

    Maritza Omaña-Molina PhD, Dolores Hernandez-Martinez, Raquel Sanchez-Rocha, Ulises Cardenas-Lemus, Citlaltepetl Salinas-Lara, Adolfo Rene Mendez-Cruz, Laura Colin-Barenque, Patricia Aley-Medina, Jesus Espinosa-Villanueva & Leticia Moreno-Fierros

  2. University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, 38203, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

    Jacob Lorenzo-Morales

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  1. Maritza Omaña-Molina PhD
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  2. Dolores Hernandez-Martinez
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Correspondence to Maritza Omaña-Molina PhD.

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Omaña-Molina, M., Hernandez-Martinez, D., Sanchez-Rocha, R. et al. In vivo CNS infection model of Acanthamoeba genotype T4: the early stages of infection lack presence of host inflammatory response and are a slow and contact-dependent process. Parasitol Res 116, 725–733 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-016-5338-1

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