Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1990 Oct;58(10):3348–3362. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.10.3348-3362.1990

Diarrhea induced by Treponema hyodysenteriae: a young chick cecal model for swine dysentery.

M Sueyoshi 1, Y Adachi 1
PMCID: PMC313660  PMID: 2205578

Abstract

The experimental infection of 25 young chicks with Treponema hyodysenteriae was carried out. Treponemes were isolated from 21 of 25 chicks on day 21 after inoculation. The ceca of chicks infected with treponemes were atrophied. The lumen was filled with a white watery fluid instead of digested feed. In some infected chicks, a cecal core was observed with the fluid in the cecum. The cecal core was grayish, hard, and rod shaped. It consisted of eroded cells and debris of treponemes and resembled the pseudomembrane. Bloody mucus was also observed in one chick. The thickness of the mucosae in 17 of 25 chicks were markedly increased. The histological changes were classified into two types. In the case of regressive changes of epithelial cells which mean severe erosion, the laminae propriae were exposed. Hemorrhage, edema, and heterophil infiltration in the laminae propriae were also confirmed. Numerous treponemes were observed within the edematous area under the remaining epithelia and also invaded the epithelial cells and laminae propriae. In the other case, progressive changes, that is, hyperplasia of mucosal epithelial cells and elongation of the crypt, were observed. The epithelia consisted mainly of cuboidal basophilic cells, mitotic cells, and goblet cells. The mitotic cells increased in number and were also observed near the superficial luminal surface of the ceca. Mucous goblet cells were also considerably increased in number. The erosion of superficial luminal epithelial cells was not so severe, but edema in laminae propriae was frequently observed. Electron-microscopic observation demonstrated that the basophilic epithelial cells were polyribosome rich, mitochondria poor, and lipid droplet poor. Furthermore, tonofibril-like structures under the terminal web in cytoplasms were lost, and numerous membrane-bound vesicles at the terminal web with free ribosomes were observed. In places, a number of vesicles were observed between microvilli, and some vesicles were released from the apical cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Microvilli also became scarce and irregular. The junctional complexes between cuboidal cells became unclear, the interdigitations between cuboidal cells became loose, and the intercellular spaces were widened. In conclusion, the appearance of numerous membrane-bound vesicles at the terminal web and the dilated intercellular space indicates increased secretion of water and electrolytes, and the abnormal proliferation of such immature epithelial cells indicates impaired absorption. On the basis of our findings, we can say that diarrhea induced by T. hyodysenteriae can be developed by synergism between impaired absorption and increased secretion by intestinal mucosae with hyperplastic immature epithelial cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Full text

PDF
3348

Images in this article

3350Image
on p.3350
3351Image
on p.3351
3352Image
on p.3352
3353Image
on p.3353
3353Image
on p.3353
3354Image
on p.3354
3354Image
on p.3354
3354Image
on p.3354
3355Image
on p.3355
3356Image
on p.3356
3357Image
on p.3357
3358Image
on p.3358
3359Image
on p.3359
3360Image
on p.3360
3360Image
on p.3360
3361Image
on p.3361

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ARTHUR D. R. Ixodes kohlsi, a new species of tick from Australia. J Parasitol. 1955 Feb;41(1):18–23. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Adachi Y., Kashiwazaki M., Kume T. Comparison of antigenic properties among various strains of Treponema hyodysenteriae. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig A. 1979 Dec;245(4):527–533. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Adachi Y., Sueyoshi M., Miyagawa E., Minato H., Shoya S. Experimental infection of young broiler chicks with Treponema hyodysenteriae. Microbiol Immunol. 1985;29(8):683–688. doi: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1985.tb00872.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Argenzio R. A., Whipp S. C., Glock R. D. Pathophysiology of swine dysentery: colonic transport and permeability studies. J Infect Dis. 1980 Nov;142(5):676–684. doi: 10.1093/infdis/142.5.676. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chen H. C., Reyes V., Fresh J. W. An electron microscopic study of the small intestine in human cholera. Virchows Arch B Cell Pathol. 1971;7(2):236–259. doi: 10.1007/BF02892095. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Giorno R. A comparison of two immunoperoxidase staining methods based on the avidin-biotin interaction. Diagn Immunol. 1984;2(3):161–166. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Griffiths I. B., Hunt B. W., Lister S. A., Lamont M. H. Retarded growth rate and delayed onset of egg production associated with spirochaete infection in pullets. Vet Rec. 1987 Jul 11;121(2):35–37. doi: 10.1136/vr.121.2.35. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Harris D. L., Glock R. D., Christensen C. R., Kinyon J. M. Inoculation of pigs with Treponema hyodysenteriae (new species) and reproduction f the disease. Vet Med Small Anim Clin. 1972 Jan;67(1):61–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Harris D. L., Kinyon J. M. Significance of anaerobic spirochetes in the intestines of animals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1974 Nov;27(11):1297–1304. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/27.11.1297. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hovind-Hougen K., Birch-Andersen A., Henrik-Nielsen R., Orholm M., Pedersen J. O., Teglbjaerg P. S., Thaysen E. H. Intestinal spirochetosis: morphological characterization and cultivation of the spirochete Brachyspira aalborgi gen. nov., sp. nov. J Clin Microbiol. 1982 Dec;16(6):1127–1136. doi: 10.1128/jcm.16.6.1127-1136.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Joens L. A., Glock R. D. Experimental infection in mice with Treponema hyodysenteriae. Infect Immun. 1979 Aug;25(2):757–760. doi: 10.1128/iai.25.2.757-760.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Joens L. A., Glock R. D., Kinyon J. M. Differentiation of Treponema hyodysenteriae from T innocens by enteropathogenicity testing in the CF1 mouse. Vet Rec. 1980 Dec 6;107(23):527–529. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Joens L. A., Kinyon J. M. Isolation of Treponema hyodysenteriae from wild rodents. J Clin Microbiol. 1982 Jun;15(6):994–997. doi: 10.1128/jcm.15.6.994-997.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Joens L. A., Robinson I. M., Glock R. D., Matthews P. J. Production of lesions in gnotobiotic mice by inoculation with Treponema hyodysenteriae. Infect Immun. 1981 Jan;31(1):504–506. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.1.504-506.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Songer J. G., Kinyon J. M., Harris D. L. Selective medium for isolation of Treponema hyodysenteriae. J Clin Microbiol. 1976 Jul;4(1):57–60. doi: 10.1128/jcm.4.1.57-60.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Suenaga I., Yamazaki T. Experimental Treponema hyodysenteriae infection of mice. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg A. 1984 Aug;257(3):348–356. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sueyoshi M., Adachi Y., Shoya S. Enteropathogenicity of Treponema hyodysenteriae in young chicks. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg A. 1987 Oct;266(3-4):469–477. doi: 10.1016/s0176-6724(87)80229-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sueyoshi M., Adachi Y., Shoya S., Miyagawa E., Minato H. Investigations into the location of Treponema hyodysenteriae in the cecum of experimentally infected young broiler chicks by light- and electronmicroscopy. Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg A. 1986 Jul;261(4):447–453. doi: 10.1016/s0176-6724(86)80076-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Turek J. J., Meyer R. C. Studies on a canine intestinal spirochete. I. Its isolation, cultivation and ultrastructure. Can J Comp Med. 1977 Jul;41(3):332–337. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wilcock B. P., Olander H. J. Studies on the pathogenesis of swine dysentery. I. Characterization of the lesions in colons and colonic segments inoculated with pure cultures or colonic content containing Treponema hyodysenteriae. Vet Pathol. 1979 Jul;16(4):450–465. doi: 10.1177/030098587901600409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES