Trophoblast Deportation to the Lungs of Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus)

Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) have been used to study a variety of infectious agents, particularly human respiratory viral pathogens. During the course of comprehensive pathologic evaluations of aging breeders from our breeding colony, 6 of 22 (27%) female cotton rats had histologic evidence, limited to the lungs, of embolized cells that were confirmed to be trophoblastic in origin by HSD3B1 immunoreactivity. When pulmonary trophoblast emboli were numerous, they usually were associated with additional histologic findings in the lungs, including pulmonary edema and hemorrhage, endothelial hypertrophy, fibrinoid vascular necrosis, and abundant alveolar macrophages containing fresh fibrin and hemolyzing erythrocytes. Of the 6 cotton rats with pulmonary trophoblast emboli, 5 (83%) were at 8 to 18 d of the 27-d gestation period, with the greatest number of emboli per lung present between days 10 through 14. The remaining cotton rat had a focal pulmonary trophoblast embolus and was not pregnant but had delivered a litter 3 mo previously. Three other cotton rats in either the early or late stages of gestation showed no histologic evidence of pulmonary trophoblast deportation. This report is the first to document pulmonary trophoblast emboli in cotton rats. This finding suggests that cotton rats may be an alternative animal model for the study of normal and aberrant trophoblast deportation in routine pregnancies and gestational pathologic conditions in women.Abbreviations: HSD3B1, hydroxyl-C-5-steroid dehydrogenaseCotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) are a relevant animal model for the study of human respiratory²³ viral pathogens, with increasing usage by academic and industrial institutions. The hemochorial placentation in Sigmodontinae²² is similar to that of humans and several laboratory animal species including mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, and nonhuman primates.^{10,20,40,42,44,49} In these species, one or more layers of analogous trophoblast types comprise the interhemal barrier between maternal and fetal blood supplies. Placental trophoblasts perform a number of critical functions during gestation, including mediation of uterine implantation and invasion, nutrient exchange, regulation of maternal blood flow, and hormone production.^{1,19,26-28,35,38,46,47}As a consequence of their inherent invasiveness, placental trophoblasts migrate into maternal uterine blood vessels, after which syncytiotrophoblasts (syncytial knots) are normally deported daily to the lungs in humans.^2,3,17 Deportation increases with frequency as gestation progresses,^3,4 with gestational pathologic conditions such as preeclampsia and eclampsia,^2,3,18,36 and after cesarean sections⁵⁰ and abortions.⁴⁸ The current thinking is that these syncytial knots undergo programmed cell death and apoptotic shedding during routine pregnancy, in contrast to conditions like preeclampsia and eclampsia, during which aberrant intervillous hemodynamics resulting in hypoxia favor necrosis and associated inflammation.^18,25,29,30 In addition, spontaneous trophoblast emboli have been documented in the lungs and a few other tissues, including uterus, adrenal gland, spleen, and liver of chinchillas,^6,11,52 hamsters,^7,41 and porcupines.²⁴ Experimentally, trophoblast invasion has been further studied in mice^8,9 and hamsters.⁵ To our knowledge, pulmonary trophoblast emboli in cotton rats have not previously been reported.Pairs of cotton rat breeders were maintained for the production of animals to be used in various studies investigating human respiratory viruses, including measles, respiratory syncytial, and parainfluenza viruses. During the course of comprehensive pathologic evaluations of aging breeders, 6 female cotton rats were incidentally found to have pulmonary trophoblast emboli. The purposes of the present case series were to characterize the embolized trophoblasts and associated pulmonary histopathology in these cotton rats and to correlate the incidence with gestational stage.     

呼吸道合胞病毒感染不同气道上皮细胞的病变特点及易感性分析

为了比较几种不同气道上皮细胞对呼吸道合胞病毒（Respiratory syncytial virus,RSV）感染后病变特点及易感性。采用RSV A2株感染Hep-2、A549、16HBE、BEAS-2B细胞后,奥林巴斯倒置免疫荧光显微镜观察细胞病变效应,免疫荧光检测RSV N蛋白表达及空斑实验测定细胞培养上清液中病毒滴度。结果显示RSV A2株感染Hep-2细胞后最早形成典型的合胞病变,A549细胞次之,16HBE及BEAS-2B形成病变的时间最晚。免疫荧光检测到RSV N蛋白表达特点与细胞病变特点一致。RSV A2在Hep-2上产生的病毒滴度最高,A549细胞次之,在16HBE上产生的病毒滴度最低。提示Hep-2、A549细胞对RSV具有高度易感性,以Hep-2最为敏感。而16HBE、BEAS-2B细胞对RSV感染不敏感,其中16HBE最不敏感。本研究可为选择合适的上皮细胞进行RSV相关研究奠定基础。     

一株引起严重急性呼吸道感染病例的A亚型人呼吸道合胞病毒全基因组基因特征分析

人呼吸道合胞病毒(Human respiratory syncytial virus,HRSV)是导致儿童急性呼吸道感染的最重要的呼吸道病毒之一。根据对单克隆抗体的反应,HRSV分为A、B两个亚型。为探讨严重急性呼吸道感染(Severe acute respi-ratory infection,SARI)病例中HRSV全基因组基因特征,本研究对2017年河南省漯河市住院SARI病例中检测到的1株HRSV A亚型病毒通过Sanger测序方法对其全基因组序列进行了测定和分析。通过Sequencher 5.4.5、MEGA 5.05、BioEdit 7.0.5等生物信息学软件进行序列拼接和比对,进行了基因亲缘性关系分析、氨基酸变异和糖基化位点分析。基于HRSV全基因组序列和11个单个蛋白基因序列构建的亲缘性关系分析结果提示本研究中检测到的这株HRSVA病毒(RSVAs/Luohe.Henan/CHN/42.17)属于ON1基因型,该型是我国近年流行的优势基因型。该病毒全基因组序列与35条全球代表株的核苷酸和氨基酸同源性分别为92.69%～99.82%和93.63%～99.67%;G蛋白编码区氨基酸变异最高,而F蛋白相对保守。糖基化位点分析发现,该病毒的F蛋白有6个N-糖基化位点,未发现O-糖基化位点,此结果与原型株long株相同;G蛋白N-糖基化位点有6个,O-糖基化位点为82个,而原型株long株有11个N-糖基化位点,15个O-糖基化位点。本研究对2017年河南省漯河市SARI病例中一株HRSVA病毒全基因组序列进行了测定,与世界其他地区报道的HRSVA亚型病毒全基因组序列进行了对比分析,揭示了SARI病例中我国HRSV优势流行ON1基因型病毒全基因组的核苷酸和氨基酸变异特征,以及G蛋白和F蛋白编码区糖基化情况,丰富了我国HRSV基因数据库,也为HRSV的核酸检测方法的建立、疫苗研发和预防性单克隆抗体的评价提供了核苷酸和氨基酸的基础数据。     

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Can Infect Basal Cells and Alter Human Airway Epithelial Differentiation

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing severe respiratory illness in infants and immune compromised patients. The ciliated cells of the human airway epithelium have been considered to be the exclusive target of RSV, although recent data have suggested that basal cells, the progenitors for the conducting airway epithelium, may also become infected in vivo. Using either mechanical or chemical injury models, we have demonstrated a robust RSV infection of p63⁺ basal cells in air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells. In addition, proliferating basal cells in 2D culture were also susceptible to RSV infection. We therefore tested the hypothesis that RSV infection of this progenitor cell would influence the differentiation status of the airway epithelium. RSV infection of basal cells on the day of seeding (MOI≤0.0001), resulted in the formation of an epithelium that showed a profound loss of ciliated cells and gain of secretory cells as assessed by acetylated α-tubulin and MUC5AC/MUC5B immunostaining, respectively. The mechanism driving the switch in epithelial phenotype is in part driven by the induced type I and type III interferon response that we demonstrate is triggered early following RSV infection. Neutralization of this response attenuates the RSV-induced loss of ciliated cells. Together, these data show that through infection of proliferating airway basal cells, RSV has the potential to influence the cellular composition of the airway epithelium. The resulting phenotype might be expected to contribute towards both the severity of acute infection, as well as to the longer-term consequences of viral exacerbations in patients with pre-existing respiratory diseases.     

Developmental Plasticity of Postweanling Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus) as an Adaptation to Nutritionally Stochastic Environments

Elucidating interrelationships between rate of growth and sexual maturation in unpredictable or stochastic environments could increase our understanding of life-history strategies of small mammals. It has been hypothesized that species living in environments where food availability is unpredictable might become sexually mature at smaller sizes and channel excess energy into reproduction rather than into compensatory growth. We explored this hypothesis in female cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) by feeding variable levels of dietary protein during early postweanling development (14–45days of age) and monitoring compensatory growth and fitness after nutritional rehabilitation (45–100days of age). Growth was optimum in females fed diets containing 16% protein, with minimal requirements estimated to be 12%. Females fed diets containing <12% protein exhibited suppressed development, including delayed puberty. However, these nulliparous females demonstrated compensatory growth during the early period of nutritional rehabilitation, regardless of the severity of previous restrictions in protein. No long-lasting fitness consequences from postweanling nutritional restrictions were apparent as we observed no difference in date of conception, body mass of dams at parturition, litter size, or rate of growth of neonates. We offer a possible adaptive explanation for this observed plasticity in growth and development. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Roflumilast Inhibits Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Human Differentiated Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes acute exacerbations in COPD and asthma. RSV infects bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) that trigger RSV associated lung pathology. This study explores whether the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor Roflumilast N-oxide (RNO), alters RSV infection of well-differentiated HBE (WD-HBE) in vitro. WD-HBE were RSV infected in the presence or absence of RNO (0.1-100 nM). Viral infection (staining of F and G proteins, nucleoprotein RNA level), mRNA of ICAM-1, ciliated cell markers (digital high speed videomicroscopy, β-tubulin immunofluorescence, Foxj1 and Dnai2 mRNA), Goblet cells (PAS), mRNA of MUC5AC and CLCA1, mRNA and protein level of IL-13, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, formation of H₂O₂ and the anti-oxidative armamentarium (mRNA of Nrf2, HO-1, GPx; total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured at day 10 or 15 post infection. RNO inhibited RSV infection of WD-HBE, prevented the loss of ciliated cells and markers, reduced the increase of MUC5AC and CLCA1 and inhibited the increase of IL-13, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα and ICAM-1. Additionally RNO reversed the reduction of Nrf2, HO-1 and GPx mRNA levels and consequently restored the TAC and reduced the H₂O₂ formation. RNO inhibits RSV infection of WD-HBE cultures and mitigates the cytopathological changes associated to this virus.     

呼吸道病毒感染与慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重的关系

目的:探讨呼吸道病毒与慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重(AECOPD)的相关性,以期能为AECOPD的诊治提供参考。方法:选取200例AECOPD患者为研究对象,检测患者肺功能,用Luminex xMAP多重分析技术平台,采集患者咽试子建立多重PCR检测技术,对鼻病毒(RHV)、呼吸道合胞病毒(RSV)、流感病毒A(INF-A)、流感病毒B(INF-B)、副流感病毒(PIV)、腺病毒(ADV)进行检测。结果:200例患者肺功能分级I级25例,II级62例,III级96例,IV级17例,其构成比分别为17.50%、31.00%、48.00%、8.50%;咽试子共检出呼吸道病毒116株,检出率为58.00%,其中RHV11株、RSV36株、INF-A37株、INF-B19株、PIV10株、ADV3株,检出率分别为5.5%、18.00%、18.50%、9.50%、5.00%、1.50%;肺功能分级I级患者病毒检出率为20.00%,II级为48.39%,III级为69.79%,IV级为82.35%,病毒检出率在不同肺功能AECOPD患者中比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);肺功能分级与病毒检出率直线相关分析结果显示随着肺功能分级的严重程度增加患者咽试子呼吸道病毒检出率明显呈现增高趋势,两者直接具有正相关(r=0.67,P0.05)。结论:COPD患者病情加重与病毒关系密切相关,病毒感染可能参与了COPD患者的病程进展。     

Streptococcus pneumoniae Enhances Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection In Vitro and In Vivo

Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and Streptococcus pneumoniae are important causative agents of respiratory tract infections. Both pathogens are associated with seasonal disease outbreaks in the pediatric population, and can often be detected simultaneously in infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis or pneumonia. It has been described that respiratory virus infections may predispose for bacterial superinfections, resulting in severe disease. However, studies on the influence of bacterial colonization of the upper respiratory tract on the pathogenesis of subsequent respiratory virus infections are scarce. Here, we have investigated whether pneumococcal colonization enhances subsequent HRSV infection. We used a newly generated recombinant subgroup B HRSV strain that expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein and pneumococcal isolates obtained from healthy children in disease-relevant in vitro and in vivo model systems. Three pneumococcal strains specifically enhanced in vitro HRSV infection of primary well-differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial cells grown at air-liquid interface, whereas two other strains did not. Since previous studies reported that bacterial neuraminidase enhanced HRSV infection in vitro, we measured pneumococcal neuraminidase activity in these cultures but found no correlation with the observed infection enhancement in our model. Subsequently, a selection of pneumococcal strains was used to induce nasal colonization of cotton rats, the best available small animal model for HRSV. Intranasal HRSV infection three days later resulted in strain-specific enhancement of HRSV replication in vivo. One S. pneumoniae strain enhanced HRSV both in vitro and in vivo, and was also associated with enhanced syncytium formation in vivo. However, neither pneumococci nor HRSV were found to spread from the upper to the lower respiratory tract, and neither pathogen was transmitted to naive cage mates by direct contact. These results demonstrate that pneumococcal colonization can enhance subsequent HRSV infection, and provide tools for additional mechanistic and intervention studies.     

Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecule (CD150) Is an Entry Receptor for Measles Virus

Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) replicate measles virus (MV) after intranasal infection in the respiratory tract and lymphoid tissue. We have cloned the cotton rat signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (CD150, SLAM) in order to investigate its role as a potential receptor for MV. Cotton rat CD150 displays 58% and 78% amino acid homology with human and mouse CD150, respectively. By staining with a newly generated cotton rat CD150 specific monoclonal antibody expression of CD150 was confirmed in cotton rat lymphoid cells and in tissues with a pattern of expression similar to mouse and humans. Previously, binding of MV hemagglutinin has been shown to be dependent on amino acids 60, 61 and 63 in the V region of CD150. The human molecule contains isoleucine, histidine and valine at these positions and binds to MV-H whereas the mouse molecule contains valine, arginine and leucine and does not function as a receptor for MV. In the cotton rat molecule, amino acids 61 and 63 are identical with the mouse molecule and amino acid 60 with the human molecule. After transfection with cotton rat CD150 HEK 293 T cells became susceptible to infection with single cycle VSV pseudotype virus expressing wild type MV glycoproteins and with a MV wildtype virus. After infection, cells expressing cotton rat CD150 replicated virus to lower levels than cells expressing the human molecule and formed smaller plaques. These data might explain why the cotton rat is a semipermissive model for measles virus infection.     

Bacteremia in Children Hospitalized with Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

Background

The risk of bacteremia is considered low in children with acute bronchiolitis. However the rate of occult bacteremia in infants with RSV infection is not well established. The aim was to determine the actual rate and predictive factors of bacteremia in children admitted to hospital due to confirmed RSV acute respiratory illness (ARI), using both conventional culture and molecular techniques.

Methods

A prospective multicenter study (GENDRES-network) was conducted between 2011–2013 in children under the age of two admitted to hospital because of an ARI. Among those RSV-positive, bacterial presence in blood was assessed using PCR for Meningococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, in addition to conventional cultures.

Results

66 children with positive RSV respiratory illness were included. In 10.6% patients, bacterial presence was detected: H. influenzae (n = 4) and S. pneumoniae (n = 2). In those patients with bacteremia, there was a previous suspicion of bacterial superinfection and had received empirical antibiotic treatment 6 out of 7 (85.7%) patients. There were significant differences in terms of severity between children with positive bacterial PCR and those with negative results: PICU admission (100% vs. 50%, P-value = 0.015); respiratory support necessity (100% vs. 18.6%, P-value < 0.001); Wood-Downes score (mean = 8.7 vs. 4.8 points, P-value < 0.001); GENVIP scale (mean = 17 vs. 10.1, P-value < 0.001); and length of hospitalization (mean = 12.1 vs. 7.5 days, P-value = 0.007).

Conclusion

Bacteremia is not frequent in infants hospitalized with RSV respiratory infection, however, it should be considered in the most severe cases.     

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Reverses Airway Hyperresponsiveness to Methacholine in Ovalbumin-Sensitized Mice

Each year, approximately 20% of asthmatics in the United States experience acute symptom exacerbations, which commonly result from pulmonary viral infections. The majority of asthma exacerbations in very young children follow infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However, pathogenic mechanisms underlying induction of asthma exacerbations by RSV are not well understood. We therefore investigated the effect of post-sensitization RSV infection on lung function in ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized BALB/c mice as a model of RSV asthma exacerbations. OVA sensitization of uninfected female BALB/c mice increased bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) eosinophil levels and induced airway hyperresponsiveness to the muscarinic agonist methacholine, as measured by the forced-oscillation technique. In contrast, intranasal infection with replication-competent RSV strain A2 for 2–8 days reduced BALF eosinophil counts and reversed airway hyperresponsiveness in a pertussis toxin-sensitive manner. BALF levels of the chemokine keratinocyte cytokine (KC; a murine homolog of interleukin-8) were elevated in OVA-sensitized, RSV-infected mice and reversal of methacholine hyperresponsiveness in these animals was rapidly inhibited by KC neutralization. Hyporesponsiveness could be induced in OVA-sensitized, uninfected mice by recombinant KC or the Gαi agonist melittin. These data suggest that respiratory syncytial virus induces KC-mediated activation of Gαi, resulting in cross-inhibition of Gαq-mediated M₃-muscarinic receptor signaling and reversal of airway hyperresponsiveness. As in unsensitized mice, KC therefore appears to play a significant role in induction of airway dysfunction by respiratory syncytial virus. Hence, interleukin-8 may be a promising therapeutic target to normalize lung function in both asthmatics and non-asthmatics with bronchiolitis. However, the OVA-sensitized, RSV-infected mouse may not be an appropriate model for investigating the pathogenesis of viral asthma exacerbations.     

裸鼠呼吸道合胞病毒感染的动物模型

呼吸道合胞病毒(RSV)是全世界婴幼儿下呼吸道感染的首位病毒病原体,免疫缺陷个体容易发生严重感染,目前尚无理想RSV感染动物模型用于研究.我们用细胞免疫缺陷裸鼠感染RSV,旨在建立理想的动物模型,为RSV感染的防治研究奠定基础.裸鼠滴鼻感染RSV后肺组织分离到病毒,直接免疫荧光检测到支气管肺泡灌洗液RSV抗原阳性,空斑形成实验检测肺组织病毒滴度在感染后第3天达高峰,并持续到第9天仍能检测到病毒.免疫组化检测RSV抗原主要分布在细支气管、毛细支气管和肺泡上皮细胞胞浆内.肺组织病理学显示RSV感染导致裸鼠淋巴细胞浸润为主的肺间质性炎症,电镜分析超微结构可见到细胞内病毒颗粒和气血屏障的破坏.支气管肺泡灌洗液白细胞计数显示裸鼠RSV感染炎症高峰在感染后第9天.裸鼠RSV感染的病毒复制和病理改变特点与人相似,病毒持续高水平复制,是客观而实用的评价抗RSV制剂效果的小鼠模型.     

裸鼠呼吸道合胞病毒感染的动物模型

呼吸道合胞病毒(RSV)是全世界婴幼儿下呼吸道感染的首位病毒病原体,免疫缺陷个体容易发生严重感染,目前尚无理想RSV感染动物模型用于研究。我们用细胞免疫缺陷裸鼠感染RSV,旨在建立理想的动物模型,为RSV感染的防治研究奠定基础。裸鼠滴鼻感染RSV后肺组织分离到病毒,直接免疫荧光检测到支气管肺泡灌洗液RSV抗原阳性,空斑形成实验检测肺组织病毒滴度在感染后第3天达高峰,并持续到第9天仍能检测到病毒。免疫组化检测RSV抗原主要分布在细支气管、毛细支气管和肺泡上皮细胞胞浆内。肺组织病理学显示RSV感染导致裸鼠淋巴细胞浸润为主的肺间质性炎症,电镜分析超微结构可见到细胞内病毒颗粒和气血屏障的破坏。支气管肺泡灌洗液白细胞计数显示裸鼠RSV感染炎症高峰在感染后第9天。裸鼠RSV感染的病毒复制和病理改变特点与人相似,病毒持续高水平复制,是客观而实用的评价抗RSV制剂效果的小鼠模型。     

Speculation on Pathogenesis in Death from Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection

The lungs of three infants, two with bronchiolitis and one with pneumonia, were examined by fluorescent antibody techniques for the distribution of respiratory syncytial (R.S.) virus, and also for the presence of human globulin. In bronchiolitis the lungs contained little virus, whereas in pneumonia virus was abundant and widespread; and, paradoxically, while in bronchiolitis human globulin had the same scanty distribution as virus it was absent in pneumonia. It is suggested that the essential process in bronchiolitis is a widespread type 1 allergic reaction dependent on a second encounter with R.S. virus antigen, whereas in R.S. virus pneumonia the mucosal necrosis and alveolar and interstitial inflammation are the result of direct virus damage to the lungs. The alternative explanation put forward is that the process may be a type 3 allergic reaction.