| Title |
Tularemia Progression Accompanied with Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Alteration in Spleen and Liver of BALB/c Mice |
| Author |
Miroslav Pohanka1*, Oto Pavlis1, Branislav Ruttkay-Nedecky2,3, Jiri Sochor2,3, Jakub Sobotka1, Jiri Pikula4, Vojtech Adam2,3, and Rene Kizek2,3 |
| Address |
1Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Trebesska 1575, 500 01 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, 2Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic, 3Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic, 4Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic |
| Bibliography |
Journal of Microbiology, 50(3),401-408, 2012,
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| DOI |
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| Key Words |
Francisella tularensis, tularaemia, oxidative stress, inflammation, antioxidant, glutathione |
| Abstract |
Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia. It is an intracellular pathogen with the ability to survive within phagosomes and induce pyroptotic cell death. In this study, we attempted to prove whether oxidative imbalance plays a significant role in tularemia pathogenesis. In our experimental model, we subcutaneously infected female BALB/c mice (dose 105 CFU of F. tularensis LVS). Liver, spleen, and blood were collected from mice at regular intervals from days 1–15 after infection. The bacterial burden was assessed by a cultivation test. The burden was unchanging from the 2nd to 6th day after infection. The bacterial burden corresponded to the plasmatic level of IFN-γ, IL-6, and liver malondialdehyde. After the phase of acute bacteraemia and the innate immunity reaction, the levels of reduced glutathione and total low molecular weight antioxidants decreased significantly and the activity of caspase-3 increased in the liver. The level of reduced glutathione decreased to 25% of the original level, and the total level of low molecular weight antioxidants was less than 50% of the initial amount. The demonstrated effects of tularemia-induced pathology had a more extensive impact on the liver than on the spleen. |
