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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #113101
Title: ANTIMICROBIAL ANIONIC PEPTIDE (AP) BINDS IN VIVO TO MANNHEIMIA HAEMOLYTICA ON ALVEOLAR EPITHELIUM (ORAL PRESENTATION AT THE AEGEAN CONFERENCE - INNATE & IMMUNITY WORKSHOP, OCTOBER 2000)

Author
item Brogden, Kim
item KALFA, VASIF - USDA/ARS/NADC, AMES, IA
item Hamir, Amirali

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/6/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Antimicrobial peptides isolated from respiratory secretions are active in vitro against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with chronic respiratory inflammation in cystic fibrosis patients. However, their activities against organisms in vivo have rarely, if never, been demonstrated. In this study, we were interested to see if endogenous AP would attach to bacteria deposited directly into the lung. Sheep BAL fluid contains 0.83 +/ 0.33 mM AP to which M. haemolytica is susceptible (MIC 0.08 mM). To show this, 8 adult sheep were sedated and a bronchoscope was inserted through the nasopharynx. The anterior portion of the right cranial lobe was saturated with 25 ml of M. haemolytica (10.2 log10 CFU/ml). Sheep were euthanized at 0, 5, 10 and 20 min. At necropsy, tissue was then taken for quantitative bacteriological culture, histopathology, and immunoelectron microscopy. Ultrastructurally, bacteria were attached to the alveolar epithelium in al groups. Monoclonal antibody to AP and Protein A-colloidal gold (PACG) were used to identify regions of AP bound to bacterial cells. Initially at 0 min, M. haemolytica appeared normal and PACG label was seen at the bacterial surface. At 5 to 20 min, many organisms were distorted and contained flocculated intracellular constituents characteristic of AP cellular damage. PACG was seen in and around cells. These results indicate that AP, in pulmonary secretions, can bind and presumably inactivate organisms entering into the lower respiratory tract. This research was supported in part by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.