title: Survival of rat cerebrocortical neurons after rickettsial infection.
abstract: Neuroinvasive microorganisms are suspected to play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of neurological diseases. However, direct evidence for the pathogenic function is still missing. The main aim of this study was to investigate biochemical and morphological changes that may occur as a result of an in vitro infection of rat cerebrocortical neurons by selected members of the genus Rickettsia. Our results showed that survival of the neurons is significantly reduced after the infection. Intracellular level of ATP is gradually decreased and inversely correlates with the load of rickettsiae. Immunofluorescence revealed that rickettsiae can enter the neurons and are localized in perinuclear space and also in neuronal processes. Data obtained in this study correspond to the idea of possible involvement of rickettsiae in the etiopathogenesis of various neuropathies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bohácsová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Filipčík
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Opattová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valáriková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quevedo Diaz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Ludovit
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Škultéty
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novák
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia. Electronic address: viruseke@savba.sk.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sekeyová
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000382:microbiology*; D051381:Rats; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification*; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: ATP; Cerebrocortical neurons; Immunofluorescence; Rickettsiae; Survival