Back to Search
Start Over
Mycobacterium bovis Bacille-Calmette-Guérin Infection Aggravates Atherosclerosis
- Source :
- Frontiers in Immunology, Vol 11 (2020), Frontiers in Immunology
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media SA, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Tuberculosis has been associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. To examine whether mycobacterial infection exacerbates atherosclerosis development in experimental conditions, we infected low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (Ldlr-/-) mice with Mycobacterium bovis Bacille-Calmette-Guérin (BCG), an attenuated strain of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Twelve-week old male Ldlr-/- mice were infected with BCG (0.3–3.0x106 colony-forming units) via the intranasal route. Mice were subsequently fed a western-type diet containing 21% fat and 0.2% cholesterol for up to 16 weeks. Age-matched uninfected Ldlr-/- mice fed with an identical diet served as controls. Atherosclerotic lesions in aorta were examined using Oil Red O staining. Changes induced by BCG infection on the immunophenotyping profile of circulating T lymphocytes and monocytes were assessed using flow cytometry. BCG infection increased atherosclerotic lesions in en face aorta after 8 weeks (plaque ratio; 0.021±0.01 vs. 0.013±0.01; p = 0.011) and 16 weeks (plaque ratio, 0.15±0.13 vs. 0.06±0.02; p = 0.003). No significant differences in plasma cholesterol or triglyceride levels were observed between infected and uninfected mice. Compared to uninfected mice, BCG infection increased systemic CD4/CD8 T cell ratio and the proportion of Ly6Clow non-classical monocytes at weeks 8 and 16. Aortic plaque ratios correlated with CD4/CD8 T cell ratios (Spearman’s rho = 0.498; p = 0.001) and the proportion of Ly6Clow non-classical monocytes (Spearman’s rho = 0.629; p < 0.001) at week 16. In conclusion, BCG infection expanded the proportion of CD4+ T cell and Ly6Clow monocytes, and aggravated atherosclerosis formation in the aortas of hyperlipidemic Ldlr-/- mice. Our results indicate that mycobacterial infection is capable of enhancing atherosclerosis development.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
lcsh:Immunologic diseases. Allergy
T cell
Immunology
T cells
Inflammation
030204 cardiovascular system & hematology
mycobacterium
03 medical and health sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
0302 clinical medicine
medicine
Cytotoxic T cell
Oil Red O
Immunology and Allergy
Original Research
Mycobacterium bovis
biology
business.industry
Cholesterol
biology.organism_classification
030104 developmental biology
medicine.anatomical_structure
chemistry
tuberculosis
inflammation
LDL receptor
medicine.symptom
Bacille-Calmette-Guérin
atherosclerosis
monocytes
business
lcsh:RC581-607
Lipoprotein
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 16643224
- Volume :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Immunology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....628d93aa0da8abf41bcd68000061db7c
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.607957