Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Sonya Carnell
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is an animal and zoonotic pathogen of worldwide importance. In pigs, transport and social stress are associated with reactivation and spread of Salmonella Typhimurium infection. The stress-related catecholamine norepinephrine (NE) has been reported to activate growth and virulence factor expression in Salmonella; however the extent to which NE contributes to stress-associated salmonellosis is unclear. We studied the impact of releasing NE from endogenous stores during Salmonella Typhimurium infection of pigs by administration of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), which selectively destroys noradrenergic nerve terminals. Treatment of pigs with 6-OHDA 7 or 16 days post-oral inoculation with Salmonella Typhimurium produced elevated plasma NE levels and transiently, but significantly, increased faecal excretion of the challenge strain. Oral administration of NE to Salmonella Typhimurium-infected pigs also transiently and significantly increased shedding; however pre-culture of the bacteria with NE did not alter the outcome of infection. Salmonella has been proposed to sense and respond to NE via a homologue of the adrenergic sensor kinase QseC. A ΔqseC mutant of Salmonella Typhimurium was consistently excreted in lower numbers than the parent strain post-oral inoculation of pigs, though not significantly so. 6-OHDA treatment of pigs infected with the ΔqseC mutant also increased faecal excretion of the mutant strain, albeit to a lesser extent than observed upon 6-OHDA treatment of pigs infected with the parent strain. Our data support the notion that stress-related catecholamines modulate the interaction of enteric bacterial pathogens with their hosts. © 2010 INRA, EDP Sciences.
Author(s): Pullinger G, Van Diemen P, Carnell S, Davies H, Lyte M, Stevens M
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Veterinary Research
Year: 2010
Volume: 41
Pages: 68
Print publication date: 09/07/2010
Date deposited: 06/05/2011
ISSN (print): 0928-4249
ISSN (electronic): 1297-9716
Publisher: EDP Sciences
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/vetres/2010040
DOI: 10.1051/vetres/2010040
Notes: Article no. 68
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
