Galectin-1 modulates mucosal immune response against yersinia enterocolitica infection.

ELIÇABE J ; DI GENARO S; RABINOVICH G

Los Cocos, Cordoba

Congreso; LXI Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología (SAI); 2013

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología (SAI)

Background: Galectin-1 (Gal-1) plays key roles in a variety of physiologic and pathologic processes. Gal-1 is expressed in different portions of the gastrointestinal tract. Yersinia enterocolitica (Ye) causes enterocolitis and mesenteric lymphadenitis in mice and human. Aim: The present study was aimed to elucidate the role of Gal-1 in the mucosal immune response against oral infection with Ye. Methods: First, we studied whether Gal-1 deficiency induces alterations on the follicle-associated epithelium and the underlying Peyer's patches (PP). Then, PP from uninfected C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and Gal-1 knockout (Lgals1-/-) mice were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, WT and Lgals1-/- mice were orogastrically infected with Ye. On days 3 after infection, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and PP were removed and colony forming units (CFU) and cell infiltration (LT, LB, macrophages and neutrophils) were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results: No differences were found in the number of both PP (6-9) and domes (6-10 per PP) in Lgals1-/- compared with WT mice. However, a reduction in the number and size of M cells was detected in Lgals1-/- mice. The CFU number was significantly lower in PP (p