Changes in the small intestine mucosal immune barrier in Muscovy ducklings infected with Muscovy duck reovirus

Publication date: Available online 12 April 2019Source: Veterinary MicrobiologyAuthor(s): Yijian Wu, Zhenni Liu, Erpeng Zhu, Minghui Li, Huihui Jiang, Yu Luo, Quanxi Wang, Xiaoping Wu, Baocheng Wu, Yifan HuangAbstractMuscovy duck reovirus (MDRV) causes serious immunodeficiency in the intestinal mucosa, although the underlying histopathological mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, we investigated the impact of MDRV infection on intestinal morphology using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Immune-related cells were also quantified by staining with hematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue, and periodic acid-Schiff stain, or by immunohistochemistry and cytochemistry for lectin. Similarly, CD4+ and CD8+ cells were quantified by flow cytometry, and the expression of several immune-related molecules was quantified by radioimmunoassay. We found that MDRV clearly damaged the intestinal mucosa, based on tissue morphology, villus length, villus width, intestinal thickness, villus height/crypt depth ratio, and villus surface area. MDRV also altered the density or distribution of lymphocytes, mastocytes, and goblet cells in the small intestinal mucosa, as well as microfold cells in Peyer’s patches. In addition, MDRV markedly depleted CD4+ cells from the intestinal mucosa and lowered the CD4+:CD8+ ratio in peripheral blood. Moreover, MDRV diminished the levels of secretory IgA and mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (p < 0.01), but elevated those of histamine and nitric oxide (p < ...
Source: Veterinary Microbiology - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research