Experimental hepatitis induced by Campylobacter jejuni infection in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).
To establish an experimental model for vibrionic hepatitis caused by Campylobacter jejuni, Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were inoculated with C. jejuni strains isolated from chicken hepatitis (BL107) and human diarrhea (HP5113). Necrotic liver lesions were formed by intra-pancreaticoduodenal vein injection by which the bacteria reached the liver directly via the portal vein, but not by intra-gastric infection. These liver lesions were observed from day 1 to 7 after the infection. The pathological changes were weak and no clinical signs were observed throughout the experimental period. By immunohistochemistry, the bacterial antigens were detected in the hepatocytes, and intercellular spaces between the hepatocytes, and in the macrophages during the early stage of the infection. When focal hepatocyte necrosis was formed, the antigen was detected more frequently in the intact hepatocytes at the periphery of the lesions than within necrotic foci. The bacteria were not detected from the liver, spleen or blood according to raising the serum agglutination titer. In contrast, the bacteria immediately invaded the bile in 5 min post-infection and were retained in the gallbladder for long periods. The present study showed that necrotizing hepatitis was formed by intra-pancreaticoduodenal vein infection of the quail with C. jejuni.
Misawa
N
N
Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Agriculture, Miyazaki University, Japan.
Ohnishi
T
T
Uchida
K
K
Nakai
M
M
Nasu
T
T
Itoh
K
K
Takahashi
E
E
D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000382:microbiology; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002645:Chickens; D003370:Coturnix; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D006520:Hepatitis, Animal / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011201:Poultry Diseases