
Pathogenesis of Listerial Encephalitis / Karayigit et al. ______________________________________________________________________________
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INTRODUCTION
Listeria monocytogenes is a gram–positive, facultative anaerobic,
rod–shaped intracellular and ubiquitous bacterium that causes
Listeriosis, affecting both animals and humans [1, 2]. Ruminants
such as cattle (Bos taurus), goats (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries)
play an important role in the maintenance and spread of this pathogen
in the farm environment [3]. The bacterium may cause septicemia
by invading the intestinal tissue of herbivorous animals, and also
causes neurological disorders [2, 4]. Typical histopathological
ndings of encephalitic Listeriosis are microabscesses consisting
of macrophages and microglial cells and neutrophil leukocytes [4, 5,
6, 7]. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially gelatinous MMPs
(MMP–2 and MMP–9) play a critical role during inammation and healing
processes in mammals [8, 9, 10]. In a healthy central nervous system,
small amounts of gelatinous MMPs are known to be expressed under
normal physiological conditions. However, a remarkable increase has
been reported under various neuropathological conditions [11, 12].
Gelatinous MMPs disrupt the structure of the extracellular matrix
(ECM) and therefore play a signicant role in the pathogenesis of
diseases in the nervous system. In general, gelatinous MMPs lead
to some pathological changes after decreased cerebral blood ow
including loss of ionic homeostasis, energy deciency increased
oxidative stress, apoptosis, irreversible tissue/organ damage, and
neurological disorders [13, 14]. It is shaped by the disruption of the
complex interaction of the inammatory reaction and the ECM model
after the decrease of blood ow in the cerebral tissue [15]. It has been
reported that MMP–2 and MMP–9 are expressed in vascular endothelial
cells, meninges, inammatory cells, microglia and especially neurons
in neuroinammatory changes in the central nervous system [16, 17].
Apoptosis is involved in the physiological processes of many
cells in the body during and after the embryonal period. These
physiological processes include embryonic development, organ
metamorphosis, cell cycle, development and activation of cells,
and cell aging. Thus, it is important to maintain tissue homeostasis
under normal physiological conditions [18, 19]. However, abnormal
apoptosis (either too little or too much) is a critical factor in the
explanation of pathogenesis of some pathological conditions
including neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders and
many types of cancer. The mechanism of Listerial encephalitis is a
complex process accompanied by many cellular interactions and
expressions. Although some of the cellular effects that play a role
in this mechanism have been revealed, it appears that there are new
factors that contribute to the neurodegeneration and cell death
that occur in the disease over time. In this context, the relationship
between gelatinous MMPs and apoptosis has not been previously
studied in Listerial encephalitis. Therefore, in this study, it was
aimed to evaluate the roles of gelatinous MMPs and apoptosis in the
formation of lesions in the central nervous system of sheep naturally
infected with L. monocytogenes in terms of pathogenesis.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Ethical statement
Because the experiment did not involve any invasive procedures
for animal experiment Ethics Committee permission is not required.
A decision was taken from the Cukurova University Faculty of Ceyhan
Veterinary Medicine Research Ethics Committee stating that ethics
committee approval was not required for the study (Document Date
and Number: 01/02/2024–31330).
Tissue samples and histopathology
Twenty–ve sheep brain tissues samples were obtained from the
archive of the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Ceyhan Veterinary
Medicine, University of Cukurova. The samples were from sheep of
different breeds in different farms at different times. The sheep
were 2−5 years old. The breeds of sheep included Akkaraman (fteen
cases), Kivircik (one cases), Merinos (four cases) and crossbreed (ve
cases). Although symptoms such as droopy ear, drooping eyelid,
fever, lack of coordination, salivation were reported in sheep, circling
and silage history were common anamnesis information. Hyperemia
and opacication of the meninges were common necropsy ndings.
Listeriosis was diagnosed based on immunohistochemical and
histopathological ndings in the tissues. The 10 healthy animals
comprising the control group had been slaughtered for human
consumption and the heads of these animals were purchased from
the Slaughterhouse. The infected and control brain tissues were
comprised by cerebral cortex, midbrain, cerebellum and brain stem. All
brain tissues were xed in 10% buffered formalin solution for 48 hours
(Sigma, Darmstadt, Germany), then washed thoroughly in tap water
overnight. After dehydration in graded alcohols, were cleared in xylene
and embedded in paran (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). Paran
blocks of cerebral cortex, midbrain, cerebellum and brain stem
were cut at 5 μm (Leica, RM 2125) and stained with hematoxylin and
eosin [20] (HE) Immunohistochemistry (IHC) method was performed
according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Stained sections were
examined and photographed using a trinocular light microscope
(Olympus BX51) with a DP25 digital camera (Tokyo, Japan). The severity
of L. monocytogenes infection in each animal was classied based
on occurrence of the following neuropathological changes: gliosis;
neuronal necrosis; perivascular cell inltration; and bacterial antigen
immunostaining in the neurons, leuykocytes and glial cells.
Immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemical staining was performed using the
routine streptavidinbiotin–peroxidase technique according to
the manufacturer’s recommendations [Anti rabbit streptoavidin/
biotin immunoperoxidase kit (Histostain–Plus Kits, California,
USA). The selected 5 μm paraffin tissue sections were stained
immunohistochemically in order to elucidate the expressions of
anti–L. monocytogenes polyclonal antibody [Novus NB100–65667,
(diluted 1/250)], anti–MMP–9 [orb13583,Biorbyt (diluted 1/250)] and
anti–MMP–2 [GeneTex, GTX104577, (diluted 1/500)] The red color
reaction was enhanced using 3–amino–9–ethylcarbazole (AEC)
(Zymed AEC RED substrat kit, ABD) as the chromogen. All sections
were counterstained with Gill hematoxylin (HX71788774,Meck, USA)
solution and then washed in water. Coverslips were applied with
water–based mounting medium (Shandon Immuno–mounting). In
additon, all infected and control tissues were stained by TUNEL
method to determine apoptotic cells that undergo extensive DNA
degradation during the late stages of apoptosis (In Situ Cell Death
Detection Kit, Roche, Basel, Switzerland). Routine IHC period was
applied to the sections until the antibody stage, and then the ready–
use TUNEL kits were gently mixed and dropped onto the tissues and
kept at room temperature for 1 hour. Then In Situ Cell Death Detection
Kit–POD was added and left for 30 min, it was washed and stained
with AEC and covered with a coverslip using water–based adhesive
(Shandon Immuno–mounting).