TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic infection with Mycobacterium lepraemurium induces alterations in the hippocampus associated with memory loss
AU - Becerril-Villanueva, Enrique
AU - Ponce-Regalado, María Dolores
AU - Pérez-Sánchez, Gilberto
AU - Salazar-Juárez, Alberto
AU - Arreola, Rodrigo
AU - Álvarez-Sánchez, María Elizbeth
AU - Juárez-Ortega, Mario
AU - Falfán-Valencia, Ramcés
AU - Hernández-Pando, Rogelio
AU - Morales-Montor, Jorge
AU - Pavón, Lenin
AU - Rojas-Espinosa, Oscar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s).
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Murine leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium lepraemurium (MLM), is a chronic disease that closely resembles human leprosy. Even though this disease does not directly involve the nervous system, we investigated a possible effect on working memory during this chronic infection in Balb/c mice. We evaluated alterations in the dorsal region of the hippocampus and measured peripheral levels of cytokines at 40, 80, and 120 days post-infection. To evaluate working memory, we used the T-maze while a morphometric analysis was conducted in the hippocampus regions CA1, CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) to measure morphological changes. In addition, a neurochemical analysis was performed by HPLC. Our results show that, at 40 days post-infection, there was an increase in the bacillary load in the liver and spleen associated to increased levels of IL-4, working memory deterioration, and changes in hippocampal morphology, including degeneration in the four subregions analyzed. Also, we found a decrease in neurotransmitter levels at the same time of infection. Although MLM does not directly infect the nervous system, these findings suggest a possible functional link between the immune system and the central nervous system.
AB - Murine leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium lepraemurium (MLM), is a chronic disease that closely resembles human leprosy. Even though this disease does not directly involve the nervous system, we investigated a possible effect on working memory during this chronic infection in Balb/c mice. We evaluated alterations in the dorsal region of the hippocampus and measured peripheral levels of cytokines at 40, 80, and 120 days post-infection. To evaluate working memory, we used the T-maze while a morphometric analysis was conducted in the hippocampus regions CA1, CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) to measure morphological changes. In addition, a neurochemical analysis was performed by HPLC. Our results show that, at 40 days post-infection, there was an increase in the bacillary load in the liver and spleen associated to increased levels of IL-4, working memory deterioration, and changes in hippocampal morphology, including degeneration in the four subregions analyzed. Also, we found a decrease in neurotransmitter levels at the same time of infection. Although MLM does not directly infect the nervous system, these findings suggest a possible functional link between the immune system and the central nervous system.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048478583&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41598-018-27352-x
DO - 10.1038/s41598-018-27352-x
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 29899533
AN - SCOPUS:85048478583
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 8
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 9063
ER -