Intestinal peptide transporter PepT1 is over-expressed during acute cryptosporidiosis in suckling rats as a result of both malnutrition and experimental parasite infection.
Cryptosporidium parvuminfection induces amino acid malnutrition leading to growth retardation in children. Owing to the nutritional efficiency of peptides compared to free amino acids and the resistance of the di-tripeptide transporter PepT1 to mucosal injury, we analyzed the intestinal expression of PepT1 during experimental acute cryptosporidiosis in suckling rats from day 4 to day 50. PepT1 mRNA levels were increased at the peak of infection (day 10) all along the small intestine and normalized after spontaneous clearance of the parasite (day 21). Immunolocalization of PepT1 showed that its expression was maintained in the brush border membrane of enterocytes in infected rats from day 4 to day 50 all along the small intestine. Our results suggest a transcriptional up-regulation during acute cryptosporidiosis in response to both C. parvum-induced malnutrition and parasite implantation. As no treatment is available, a semi-elemental diet should be considered part of the treatment of cryptosporidiosis.
Barbot
L
L
Laboratoire de Biologie Animale et Parasitaire, Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université René Descartes, 75006 Paris, France. laurence.barbot@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
Windsor
E
E
Rome
S
S
Tricottet
V
V
Reynès
M
M
Topouchian
A
A
Huneau
J F
JF
Gobert
J G
JG
Tomé
D
D
Kapel
N
N
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D015820:Cadherins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D000074011:Peptide Transporter 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027981:Symporters
D015820:Cadherins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C490586:Cdh17 protein, rat; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D000074011:Peptide Transporter 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C489940:Slc15a1 protein, rat; D027981:Symporters; C067802:intestinal peptide-proton cotransporter