title: Apoptosis and cell proliferation in the mouse model of embryonic death induced by Tritrichomonas foetus infection.
abstract: Bovine tritrichomonosis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the protozoon Tritrichomonas foetus and characterised by embryonic-death and abortion. During pregnancy, the processes of cell proliferation and death play a crucial role for blastocyst implantation and the subsequent maintenance of early pregnancy, and their misbalance may lead to the abortion. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether cell proliferation and death may be altered during tritrichomonosis. For this purpose, we used pregnant BALB/c mice as an alternative experimental animal model that has successfully reproduced the infection. We analysed the immunohistochemical expression of active caspase-3 and proliferating cell nuclear (PCNA) antigens in the endometrium of infected mice. We found an increase in the number of caspase-3 positive cells in infected mice that were not pregnant at the necropsy. Besides, the number of positive proliferating cells increased in the uterine luminal epithelium of infected animals killed at 5-7 days post coitum (dpc). Pregnant infected mice killed at 8-11 dpc showed higher proliferation than control animals. We suggest that the cytopathic effect induced by T. foetus in the uteri of infected mice may induce the apoptosis of the epithelial cells and, as a result, promote a compensatory proliferative response. The information described here will be helpful to further study the pathogenesis of the bovine tritrichomonosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: marianawoudwyk02@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mariana A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Woudwyk
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Institute of Pathology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Council (CONICET), Argentina.
authors.forename: Carolina N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Zanuzzi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Council (CONICET), Argentina.
authors.forename: Fabián
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Council (CONICET), Argentina.
authors.forename: Eduardo J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gimeno
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of the Centre of Buenos Aires Province Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of the Centre of Buenos Aires Province Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cristina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Monteavaro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Institute of Pathology, School of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Council (CONICET), Argentina.
authors.forename: Claudio G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Barbeito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D016835:Tritrichomonas foetus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014599:Uterus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D053148:Caspase 3
keywords: Apoptosis; Bovine tritrichomonosis; Cell proliferation; Mouse model