Porcine neutrophil function in the presence of virulent and avirulent Salmonella choleraesuis

Porcine polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) may be activated by bacteria to begin phagocytosis followed by oxidative and non-oxidative mechanisms of killing. The purpose of this study was to identify differences between virulent and avirulent Salmonella choleraesuis (S. choleraesuis) strains, 38 and 9 respectively, in their interactions with porcine PMNLs using five different assays. (1) Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) ingestion was determined by exposure of porcine PMNLs to a mixture of S. choleraesuis and 125I labeled S. aureus. There was a 2.98% and 22.20% decrease in S. aureus ingestion by mouse-avirulent S. choleraesuis 9 and mouse-virulent S. choleraesuis 38 respectively. (2) Iodination of proteins was done by exposing zymosan stimulated porcine PMNLs to S. choleraesuis in the presence of 125I and measuring its incorporation into porcine PMNL proteins. This assay indicated a 73.7% and 74.7% decrease in iodination by S. choleraesuis 9 and S. choleraesuis 38, respectively. (3) Cytochrome c reduction was performed by using porcine PMNLs, zymosan, and S. choleraesuis to determine the bacterial effect on superoxide anion production. S. choleraesuis 9 and S. choleraesuis 38 inhibited superoxide anion production by 78.0% and 92.6%, respectively. (4) Lactoferrin release from porcine PMNLs was measured by an ELISA using the supernatant from the cytochrome c assay. Results indicate a 52.0% and 61.0% increase in lactoferrin release by S. choleraesuis 9 and 38 respectively. (5) The bactericidal assay was performed by counting cfus of S. choleraesuis after preliminary incubation with porcine PMNLs, followed by killing of extracellular S. choleraesuis and lysis of porcine PMNLs. Survival of S. choleraesuis 9 and E. coli (control) were 7.50% and 1.37%, respectively, in contrast to 52.62% survival of the virulent S. choleraesuis 38. These results indicate that both strains inhibited protein iodination and caused a slight increase in lactoferrin release, but the virulent S. choleraesuis 38 inhibited S. aureus ingestion, cytochrome c reduction, and survived porcine PMNL killing more effectively than the avirulent S. choleraesuis 9.