Comparison of virulence by <i>Acanthamoeba</i> strains in a murine model of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

, Kong, H H; , Yee, S T; , Chung, D I

doi:1998.36.1.23

Korean J Parasito > Volume 36(1):1998 > Article

Original Article


Korean J Parasitol. 1998 Mar;36(1):23-31. English. Published online Mar 20, 1998. http://dx.doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1998.36.1.23
Copyright © 1998 by The Korean Society for Parasitology


Comparison of virulence by Acanthamoeba strains in a murine model of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
H H Kong,¹S T Yee,² and D I Chung^*
¹Department of Parasitology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Taegu 700-422, Korea.

Received January 11, 1998; Accepted February 04, 1998.
Abstract
The pathogenic potential of Acanthamoeba strains was evaluated by experimental infection of murine AIDS (MAIDS) model. C57BL/6 mice were induced to immunocompromized state by intraperitoneal injection of LP-BM5 MuLV and revealed the typical splenomegaly and lymphatic enlargement of axillar and inguinal regions on necropsy 4 weeks after viral infection. Although there was no significant difference in the mortality rate of MAIDS mouse according to the culture temperature, it was very different in the mortality rate from strain to strain of Acanthamoeba. A. healyi OC-3A strain isolated from the brain of a GAE patient showed the highest mortality rate and A. culbertsoni A-1 strain from tissue culture was the second. KA/S3 and KA/S2 strains isolated from soil revealed very low virulence. The mice infected by intranasal inoculation of Acanthamoeba showed relatively chronic course than intravenous inoculation. The gross findings of lungs and brains from infected mice were variable among mice. On the microscopic observations, the lungs showed much more severe inflammation and necrosis than the brains microscopically. This MAIDS model would be useful to study the opportunistic protozoan infections of AIDS patients. In the light of these results, the pathogenic potential and the virulence of Acanthamoeba may be determined genetically.

Figures


	Fig. 1 A. Gross finding of a C57BL/6 mouse 4 weeks after infection with LP-BM5 MuLV. Lymph nodes are enlarged in cervical and inguinal areas (arrows) and spleen is also enlarged (arrow heads). B. Control mouse.


	Fig. 2 Mortality curve of mouse infected with Acanthamoeba healyi OC-3A and A. culbertsoni A-1 strain by intravenous (I.V.) or intranasal (I.N.) inoculation.


	Fig. 3 Mortality curve of mouse infected with eight strains of Acanthamoeba.

Fig. 4
Gross finding of mouse lungs and brains. A. Lung of the mouse infected intranasally with Acanthamoeba healyi OC-3A. Severe hemorrhage and inflammation are observed. B. Lung of the mouse infected intranasally with A. castellanii KA/S2. C. Brain of the mouse infected intravenously with A. healyi OC-3A. Edema and hemorrhage are observed. D. Brain of the mouse infected intravenously with A. castellanii KA/S2.


	Fig. 5 Light microscopic findings of mouse lung infected with Acanthamoeba healyi OC-3A. A. Severe inflammation and thickening of interstitium are observed. ×800. B. Magnification of A. The trophozoite of Acanthamoeba (arrows) is observed. ×4,000.

Fig. 6
Light microscopic findings of mouse brain infected intravenously with Acanthamoeba healyi OC-3A. A. Severe inflammation is observed in cerebral area. Many inflammatory cells infiltrate around sall blood vessels. ×400. B. Magnification of A. The trophozoite of Acanthamoeba (arrows) surrounded by small inflammatory cells has typical bull's eye shaped nucleus (arrow heads) and many vacuoles in the cytoplasm. ×4,000.

Tables


	Table 1 Strains and origin of Acanthamoeba used in experimental infection


	Table 2 Difference in mortality of mice according to the culture temperature of Acanthamoeba^a)


	Table 3 Difference in mortality of mice according to inoculation of Acanthamoeba^a)

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