Clostridium perfringens beta-toxin targets endothelial cells in necrotizing enteritis in piglets

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology 2009-06, Vol.137 (3), p.320-325
• Main Authors: Miclard, J., Jäggi, M., Sutter, E., Wyder, M., Grabscheid, B., Posthaus, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; bacterial adhesion; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; bacterial enteritis; bacterial toxins; Bacterial Toxins - toxicity; Beta-toxin; binding capacity; biochemical pathways; Biological and medical sciences; cell invasion; Clostridium perfringens; disease course; Endothelial cell; endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - drug effects; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human bacterial diseases; Immunohistochemistry; Infectious diseases; Inflammation; Intestines - blood supply; Intestines - pathology; Medical sciences; Microbiology; necrosis; necrotic enteritis; Necrotizing enteritis; pathogenesis; piglets; Protein Binding; small intestine; strains; Swine; swine diseases; Swine Diseases - microbiology; vascular tissues; virulence
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2009.01.025

Beta-toxin (CPB) is known to be the major virulence factor of Clostridium perfringens type C strains, which cause necrotizing enteritis in pigs, sheep, goats, calves, and humans. The exact mode of action, in particular the cellular targets of CPB in the intestine of naturally affected species, is however still not resolved. To investigate localization of CPB in naturally occurring necrotizing enteritis, we evaluated 52 piglets with spontaneously acquired C. perfringens type C enteritis and 14 control animals by immunohistochemistry. Our results consistently revealed binding of CPB to vascular endothelial cells in peracute to acute lesions of necrotizing enteritis. Subacute cases, in contrast, demonstrated reduced or no CPB staining at the endothelium, mainly due to widespread vascular necrosis. From these results we conclude, that the pathogenesis of C. perfringens type C induced necrotizing enteritis involves binding of CPB to endothelial cells in the small intestine during the early phase of the disease. Thus, by targeting endothelial cells, CPB might specifically induce vascular necrosis, hemorrhage and subsequent hypoxic tissue necrosis.