PUBLICATION

Zebrafish as a useful model for zoonotic Vibrio parahaemolyticus pathogenicity in fish and human

Authors
Dong, X., Chen, B., Zhang, Y., Zu, Y., Li, W., Zhang, Q.
ID
ZDB-PUB-151101-3
Date
2016
Source
Developmental and comparative immunology   55: 159-68 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Zu, Yao
Keywords
Vibrio parahaemolyticus, histopathology, infectious model, inflammatory cytokines, pathogenicity, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Cytokines/genetics
  • Cytokines/metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Sepsis/immunology*
  • Up-Regulation
  • Vibrio Infections/immunology*
  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus/immunology*
  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus/pathogenicity
  • Zebrafish/immunology*
  • Zoonoses/immunology*
PubMed
26519599 Full text @ Dev. Comp. Immunol.
Abstract
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is an important aquatic zoonotic pathogen worldwide that causes vibriosis in many marine fish, and sepsis, gastroenteritis and wound infection in humans. However, the pathogenesis of different sources of V. parahaemolyticus is not fully understood. Here, we examined the pathogenicity and histopathology of fish (V. parahaemolyticus 1.2164) and human (V. parahaemolyticus 17) strains in a zebrafish (Danio rerio). We found that different infection routes resulted in different mortality in zebrafish. Moreover, death due to V. parahaemolyticus 1.2164 infection occurred quicker than that caused by V. parahaemolyticus 17 infection. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of liver, kidney and intestine sections showed histological lesions in all three organs after infection with either strain. V. parahaemolyticus 1.2164 caused more severe damage than V. parahaemolyticus 17. In particular, V. parahaemolyticus 1.2164 treatment induced more serious hydropic degeneration and venous sinus necrosis in the liver than V. parahaemolyticus 17 treatment. The expression levels of three proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin 1β (il1β), interferon phi 1 (ifnϕ1) and tumor necrosis factor α (tnfα), as determined by quantitative real-time PCR, were upregulated in all examined tissues of infected fish. Notably, the peak levels of tnfα were significantly higher than those of il1β and ifnϕ1, suggesting, together with pathological results, that tnfα and il1β play an important role in acute sepsis. High amounts of tnfα may be related to acute liver necrosis, while ifnϕ1 may respond to V. parahaemolyticus and play an antibacterial role for chronically infected adult zebrafish. Taken together, our results suggest that the zebrafish model of V. parahaemolyticus infection is useful for studying strain differences in V. parahaemolyticus pathogenesis.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping