OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine the basic histomorphologic effects of Bacillus clausii (B. clausii) spores in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) O127:H21-infected mice by evaluating the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and intestinal mucosa.

METHODS: The study involved 46 apparently healthy Balb/c mice (Mus musculus) which were acclimatized for 19 days prior to any intervention. Sixteen mice were used to determine the sublethal dose of E. coli, which was performed by administering serially-diluted solutions and subsequent generation of a standard curve. From the remaining 30 mice, ten served as normal controls while the remaining 20 were randomized to receive either B. clausii or placebo of sterile water for a week. All mice were then challenged with E. coli for another week and euthanized, and the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and small intestine harvested and examined microscopically. All study personnel were blinded of the treatment assignments.

RESULTS: Histologic evaluation of the small intestine in E. coli only-fed mice exhibited prominent attachment effacement lesions, with severely denuded mucosa, lymphocytic infiltration, and debris in the intestinal lumen. However, mice given B. clausii prior to E. coli infection displayed only minimal mucosal damage with less sloughing of villus tips, plus increased mucus-secreting goblet cells. In the spleen, E. coli only-fed mice showed moderate to severe lymphoid hyperplasia with blurred boundaries between red and white pulp. In contrast, mice which received B. clausii prior to E. coli infection had only mild degrees of lymphoid hyperplasia. Similar findings were seen in the mesenteric lymph nodes where E. coli only-fed mice showed moderate to severe lymphoid hyperplasia while those given B. clausii prior to E. coli infection merely had mild lymphoid hyperplasia.

CONCLUSION: B. clausii exerts a potential protective and immunomodulatory action in E. coli O127:H21-infected mice based on histomorphologic effects. However, additional studies are needed to fully characterize these mechanisms.mice based on histomorphologic effects. 

Animal ; Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli ; Goblet Cells ; Mice, Inbred Balb C ; Spleen ; Bacillus Clausii ; Hyperplasia ; Escherichia Coli Infections ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Lymph Nodes

Purpose: Association between variants rs1047972 and rs8173 of the AURKA gene in healthy women and breast cancer (BC) in a Mexican population. Methods: Genomic DNA samples from 409 healthy women and 572 patients with BC were analyzed for variants rs1047972 and rs8173 of the AURKA gene by polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: TT genotype (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22–5.11; p = 0.0015) and the T allele (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.23–2.12; p = 0.0007) of the rs1047972 variant were associated as risk susceptibility for BC relative to the control group. Contrarily, the GG genotype (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43–0.94; p = 0.029) was associated as a protective factor of susceptibility of BC of the variant rs8173 of the AURKA gene. Differences were observed in the patients with BC who were carriers of the CT genotype of the rs1047972 variant with overweight, obesity, estrogen receptor-positive plus obesity, Ki-67 (≥ 20%) plus history familial positive of cancer; and for variant rs8173 the BC patients who were CG carriers and presented chemotherapy gastric toxicity, hormonal receptor positive plus chemotherapy gastric toxicity, and menopause status plus chemotherapy gastric toxicity (p < 0.05). Two common haplotypes were identified in the study groups: CG and TC genotypes, were associated as a protective and risk factor, respectively (p < 0.05). Conclusion Variants rs1047972 and rs8173 of the AURKA gene and the TC haplotype were associated as risk susceptibility factors for BC in this population.