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Experimental infection of human nasal mucosal explants with Neisseria meningitidis

Experimental infection of human nasal mucosal explants with Neisseria meningitidis
Experimental infection of human nasal mucosal explants with Neisseria meningitidis

The interaction of Neisseria meningitidis with rhinopharyngeal epithelium was studied by experimental infection of explants of human nasal turbinate mucosa with two wild strains: a fully capsulate case isolate, and an epidemiologically related non-capsulate nasopharyngeal isolate. After incubation for 4 h, epithelial cells of infected explants changed conformation from tall columnar morphology towards cuboidal, and there was increased discharge of mucus globules from goblet cells. By 24 h there was significant damage to infected epithelia, including projection of cells out of the surface, cytoplasmic blebbing and mitochondrial abnormalities. Meningococci were associated with surface non-ciliated cells by 4 h after infection. By 24 h after infection they were associated extensively with all cell types exhibiting damage. There was little association with secreted mucus. In areas of cell damage, penetration between surface cells was observed. Endocytosis into non-ciliated cells was observed in only a minority of explants studied and only in those infected for 24 h. From this intracellular site there was apparent migration to adjacent cells and to intercellular locations. No organisms were observed within or beneath basement membrane collagen in any explants but internalisation into mononuclear phagocytes was observed occasionally.

Cilia, Culture Techniques, Epithelium, Humans, Microscopy, Electron, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Mucus, Nasal Mucosa, Neisseria meningitidis, Turbinates, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
0022-2615
353-361
Read, R.C.
b5caca7b-0063-438a-b703-7ecbb6fc2b51
Fox, A.
cc608954-fa6a-4dcc-9f14-e8d875de6c40
Miller, K.
d6b7f701-0b97-4ba9-8111-98e41cf26c0d
Gray, T.
bb11caa2-7971-4074-9d4e-2fc7f7cd8a6f
Jones, N.
56826eca-636e-4183-9839-b380f4636a99
Borrows, R.
50e46333-9c68-4715-85e7-22fd5ff06d22
Jones, D.M.
8387aaf0-0b0e-401a-af8c-743b96f52d73
Finch, R.G.
6492b427-f814-4123-a753-c20502679abe
Read, R.C.
b5caca7b-0063-438a-b703-7ecbb6fc2b51
Fox, A.
cc608954-fa6a-4dcc-9f14-e8d875de6c40
Miller, K.
d6b7f701-0b97-4ba9-8111-98e41cf26c0d
Gray, T.
bb11caa2-7971-4074-9d4e-2fc7f7cd8a6f
Jones, N.
56826eca-636e-4183-9839-b380f4636a99
Borrows, R.
50e46333-9c68-4715-85e7-22fd5ff06d22
Jones, D.M.
8387aaf0-0b0e-401a-af8c-743b96f52d73
Finch, R.G.
6492b427-f814-4123-a753-c20502679abe

Read, R.C., Fox, A., Miller, K., Gray, T., Jones, N., Borrows, R., Jones, D.M. and Finch, R.G. (1995) Experimental infection of human nasal mucosal explants with Neisseria meningitidis. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 42 (5), 353-361. (doi:10.1099/00222615-42-5-353).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The interaction of Neisseria meningitidis with rhinopharyngeal epithelium was studied by experimental infection of explants of human nasal turbinate mucosa with two wild strains: a fully capsulate case isolate, and an epidemiologically related non-capsulate nasopharyngeal isolate. After incubation for 4 h, epithelial cells of infected explants changed conformation from tall columnar morphology towards cuboidal, and there was increased discharge of mucus globules from goblet cells. By 24 h there was significant damage to infected epithelia, including projection of cells out of the surface, cytoplasmic blebbing and mitochondrial abnormalities. Meningococci were associated with surface non-ciliated cells by 4 h after infection. By 24 h after infection they were associated extensively with all cell types exhibiting damage. There was little association with secreted mucus. In areas of cell damage, penetration between surface cells was observed. Endocytosis into non-ciliated cells was observed in only a minority of explants studied and only in those infected for 24 h. From this intracellular site there was apparent migration to adjacent cells and to intercellular locations. No organisms were observed within or beneath basement membrane collagen in any explants but internalisation into mononuclear phagocytes was observed occasionally.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 29 November 1994
Published date: May 1995
Keywords: Cilia, Culture Techniques, Epithelium, Humans, Microscopy, Electron, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Mucus, Nasal Mucosa, Neisseria meningitidis, Turbinates, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 416958
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/416958
ISSN: 0022-2615
PURE UUID: e0da8c3e-cd55-41a8-8954-386b7e842bdc
ORCID for R.C. Read: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4297-6728

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Date deposited: 15 Jan 2018 17:31
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:10

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Contributors

Author: R.C. Read ORCID iD
Author: A. Fox
Author: K. Miller
Author: T. Gray
Author: N. Jones
Author: R. Borrows
Author: D.M. Jones
Author: R.G. Finch

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