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Apoptosis as the adaptation mechanism in survival of Trichinella spiralis in the host

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Abstract

The study evaluates the role of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in the process of striated muscle cell transformation after occupation by Trichinella spiralis. Its relationship with other apoptosis-related factors [apoptotic protease-activating factor 1, Bcl-2 associated protein X (BAX), Bcl-2, caspase 3, survivin, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), and endothelial and inducible (iNOS) nitric oxide synthase] was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. In the context of low BAX and caspase 3 expression and strong distribution of AIF in the sarcoplasm and nucleus at the very early stage of infection, we suppose that AIF-mediated signaling is involved in the apoptosis activation in the area of Trichinella occupation. In the time course of nurse cell formation, survivin and caspase 3 migrated into the enlarged nuclei with strong PARP-1 expression. In the end of encapsulation of Trichinella, expression of all proapoptotic factors ceased and only survivin in the nuclei and Bcl-2 positivity in the cytoplasm persisted in the formed nurse cell. The expression of sarcoplasmic iNOS was absent during the process of muscle cell de-differentiation and reappeared within the nurse cell. It seems that upregulation and downregulation of factors of apoptosis in the skeletal muscle cell represents an adaptive mechanism providing a comfortable niche for the parasite.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Mrs. Ivica Uhnava and Mrs. Emilia Klincova for their excellent technician assistance. This study was supported in part by the grant MZ SR No. 2006-UK-02 from the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, the Operational program Development of Human Resources-2007–2013, funded by the European Social Fund and the Republic of Bulgaria and by the Framework Programme for Research and Technology Development, project: Building of Centre of Excellency for Sudden Cerebral Vascular Events, Comenius University Faculty of Medicine in Bratislava (ITMS: 26240120023), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Pavel Babal, Rosica Milcheva & Pavol Janega

  2. Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Parasitology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Rosica Milcheva & Svetlozara Petkova

  3. Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Kosice, Slovakia

    Zuzana Hurnikova

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  1. Pavel Babal
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  2. Rosica Milcheva
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  3. Svetlozara Petkova
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  4. Pavol Janega
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  5. Zuzana Hurnikova
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Correspondence to Pavel Babal.

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Babal, P., Milcheva, R., Petkova, S. et al. Apoptosis as the adaptation mechanism in survival of Trichinella spiralis in the host. Parasitol Res 109, 997–1002 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2343-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2343-2

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