Growth and Pathogenesis of Mycoplasma mycoides var. capri in Chicken Embryo Tracheal Organ Cultures

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The growth and pathogenicity of Mycoplasma mycoides var. capri were studied in chicken embryo tracheal rings in rolled tubes. In these organ cultures, M. mycoides var. capri attained titers of 107 to 108 color-changing units/ml of Eagle's medium and there was inhibition of ciliary activity. The rapidity of inhibition was directly related to the number of organisms inoculated. Growth of organisms was closely associated with the tracheal tissue because multiplication was not demonstrated in “conditioned medium,” that is Eagle's medium from which the rings had been removed. Mycoplasma growth occurred when the cultures were incubated at 37 C, 33 C, and room temperature, but the cilia-stopping effect (CSE) was most rapid at 37 C and was not demonstrable at room temperature. Furthermore, there was no CSE when cultures were maintained in medium in which M. mycoides var. capri had been grown but was either filtered to remove the organisms or treated with tetracycline to stop their multiplication. This indicated that the CSE of M. mycoides var. capri was dependent upon a close association of multiplying organisms with the tracheal rings and was not due to toxic products persisting in the medium. Chicken tracheal epithelial cells did not adsorb to colonies of M. mycoides var. capri but HeLa cells did. Although their adsorption was unaffected by prior neuraminidase treatment, the addition of neuraminidase to the tracheal organ culture system delayed the CSE of M. mycoides var. capri. Peroxide production was demonstrated in M. mycoides var. capri-infected tracheal rings but not in uninfected cultures. The addition of glucose to the organ cultures delayed the CSE of M. mycoides var. capri, possibly because of the stimulation of peroxidase activity. Similarily, catalase protected the cilia from the usual damaging effect of M. mycoides var. capri. This protective effect was partially reversed by the addition of 3-amino-1, 2, 4,-triazole and it did not occur if the catalase had been inactivated by boiling. The addition of hydrogen peroxide to tracheal cultures also resulted in loss of ciliary activity. The present results show that the liberation of peroxide is an important factor in the pathogenesis of M. mycoides var. capri infection of chicken tracheal organ cultures. It is speculated that this also may be so in the natural host.

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