TY - JOUR
T1 - Chlamydia pneumoniae infection enhances microglial activation in atherosclerotic mice
AU - Voorend, M.
AU - van der Ven, A. J.A.M.
AU - Mulder, Monique
AU - Lodder, J.
AU - Steinbusch, H. W.M.
AU - Bruggeman, C. A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research described in this manuscript was funded by a grant from the Netherlands Heart Foundation, grant number 99-134.
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - The presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in murine brain tissue was studied in atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic mice, after peritoneal injection. Furthermore, we investigated whether increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier was implicated in cerebral C. pneumoniae infection and whether intra-cerebral C. pneumoniae infection leads to microglial activation. Using a polymerase chain reaction, C. pneumoniae DNA was found in the brain tissue of 33% of the mice, 3, 7 and 21 days after infection. Atherosclerosis and age does not influence the extend of the cerebral infection. Semiquantitative analyses showed that intra-cerebral C. pneumoniae infection was not accompanied by an altered function of the blood-brain barrier. Microglial activation was assessed with immunohistochemistry, quantified in the hippocampus of each infected mouse and compared with mock infected. Enhanced microglial activation was found in the atherosclerotic mice. Since microglial activation is a key factor in a number of neuroinflammatory diseases, C. pneumoniae infection might play a role in these diseases.
AB - The presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in murine brain tissue was studied in atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic mice, after peritoneal injection. Furthermore, we investigated whether increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier was implicated in cerebral C. pneumoniae infection and whether intra-cerebral C. pneumoniae infection leads to microglial activation. Using a polymerase chain reaction, C. pneumoniae DNA was found in the brain tissue of 33% of the mice, 3, 7 and 21 days after infection. Atherosclerosis and age does not influence the extend of the cerebral infection. Semiquantitative analyses showed that intra-cerebral C. pneumoniae infection was not accompanied by an altered function of the blood-brain barrier. Microglial activation was assessed with immunohistochemistry, quantified in the hippocampus of each infected mouse and compared with mock infected. Enhanced microglial activation was found in the atherosclerotic mice. Since microglial activation is a key factor in a number of neuroinflammatory diseases, C. pneumoniae infection might play a role in these diseases.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955845183&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.09.022
DO - 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2008.09.022
M3 - Article
C2 - 19027992
AN - SCOPUS:77955845183
SN - 0197-4580
VL - 31
SP - 1766
EP - 1773
JO - Neurobiology of Aging
JF - Neurobiology of Aging
IS - 10
ER -