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Title: Use of carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dye and fluorescent imaging as an in situ method to visualize lymphoid tissues in egg-layer chickens challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE)

Author
item Vaughn, Lara
item Holt, Peter
item Gast, Richard

Submitted to: American Veterinary Medical Association Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/23/2008
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) vital dye has been used in leukocyte studies involving mice, rats, sheep, heifers, nonhuman primates, teleost fish and avian embryos. Mice and sheep appear to be the only animals that have received intravenous (IV) CFSE administration, and the purpose was for collection of CFSE positive leukocytes from peripheral blood and subsequent cell transfer for leukocyte migration studies. We have found no literature for IV use of CFSE in mature egg-layer chickens to identify lymphoid tissues in situ. Presently, we explore IV administration of CFSE and the application of a fluorescent imaging system for in situ visualization of lymphoid tissue in egg-layer hens challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE). CFSE positive fluorescence was observed within the spleen, proventriculus, Peyer’s patches and cecal tonsils. This novel use of intravenous CFSE in chickens may hold promise for researchers trying to identify often grossly obscure mucosal lymphoid tissue sites for histopathology evaluation or cell harvesting. There appears to be potential for CFSE positive lymphoid tissues to be identified in situ, viable cells collected, and then perhaps CFSE lymphocyte suspensions used for flow cytometric cellular phenotyping, cell culture establishment for cytokine expression research, or cell migration/trafficking and cell division studies. CFSE and fluorescent imaging could be useful tools to advance our knowledge about the avian immune system and the immune response against disease agents such as SE.