title: Morphological and functional characterizations of Schwann cells stimulated with Mycobacterium leprae.
abstract: Nerve damage, a characteristic of leprosy, is the cause of patient deformities and a consequence of Schwann cells (SC) infection by Mycobacterium leprae. Although function/dysfunction of SC in human diseases like leprosy is difficult to study, many in vitro models, including SC lines derived from rat and/or human Schwannomas, have been employed. ST88-14 is one of the cell lineages used by many researchers as a model for M. leprae/SC interaction. However, it is necessary to establish the values and limitations of the generated data on the effects of M. leprae in these SC. After evaluating the cell line phenotype in the present study, it is close to non-myelinating SC, making this lineage an ideal model for M. leprae/SC interaction. It was also observed that both M. leprae and PGL-1, a mycobacterial cell-wall component, induced low levels of apoptosis in ST88-14 by a mechanism independent of Bcl-2 family members.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Patologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tatiana Pereira da
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ana Caroline Costa da
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Maria da Graça Araújo
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Baruque
authors.forename: Rosane Barbosa de
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Marcelo Pelajo
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Euzenir Nunes
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Sarno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae