Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) from enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) produces cerebellar impairment of the vascular unit with inflammatory involvement

VANINA GISELLE VELARDO ; CLARA VALENTINA BERDASCO; FERNANDO CORREA; ADRIANA CANGELOSI; PATRICIA A. GEOGHEGAN; GOLDSTEIN, JORGE

Congreso; 2019 Meeting of Argentine Society for Research in Neurosciences; 2019

Stx2 from EHEC produces Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and neurologic alterations including cerebellar involvement in patients. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms by which Stx2 causes cell damage in the cerebellum. Mice were injected intravenously with 1ng of Stx2 or 100 µl of saline. Fixed cerebellums were subjected to staining with lectins (microvasculature profile) and immunofluorescence with anti-GFAP (astrocytosis marker) and anti-MBP (myelin protein marker). ELISA kits measured TNFα and IL-10. Stx2 reached the Purkinje and granular layers. Stx2 significantly: decreased the area occupied by the microvasculature (12.58 ± 0.73 Control vs 7.71 ± 0.72 Stx2, day 2, in µm2); increased the expression of GFAP (11.3 ± 0.3 Control vs 17.97 ± 0.87 Stx2, day 2, and 12.11 ± 0.67 Control vs 14.8 ± 0.6 Stx2 day 4, in IOD),and decreased the expression of MBP (67.6 ± 2.4 Control vs 35.4 ± 0.9 Stx2, day 2, and 62.6 ± 2.5 Control vs 46.2 ± 1.4 Stx2 day 4, in IOD); p