Neutrophil extracellular traps in the intestinal mucosa of Eimeria-infected animals

• Published in: Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine
• Main Authors: Tamara Muñoz-Caro, Liliana Machado Ribeiro da Silva, Zaída Rentería-Solis, Anja Taubert, Carlos Hermosilla
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016
• Subjects: Eimeria bovis; Eimeria arloingi; Neutrophil extracellular traps; Apicomplexa; Coccidiosis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Biology (General); QH301-705.5; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtb.2016.01.001; https://doaj.org/article/3d02a1101e5848baba3ee95a1fef1b3e

Objective: To investigate the presence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in vivo by analysing intestinal sections from experimentally Eimeria bovis- and naturally Eimeria arloingi-infected animals. Methods: Intestinal samples of Eimeria arloingi- and Eimeria bovis-infected animals were analysed by using immunohistochemical and fluorescence approach by using monoclonal antibodies. Results: Classical NET components were confirmed by co-localization of extracellular DNA being decorated with neutrophil elastase and histones in Eimeria-infected tissue samples. Here, extrusion of NETs was exclusively detected in intestinal polymorphonuclear neutrophils infiltrating Eimeria-infected sites. In vivo NETs were either found in close proximity or in direct contact to different Eimeria stages suggesting a stage-independent process. NETs were also found within the gut lumen driven by polymorphonuclear neutrophils that were contacting released oocysts. Conclusions: We postulate that NETs might play an important role in innate defence reactions in coccidiosis therefore significantly altering the outcome of infection.