Experimental transmission of abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) in the small intestinal epithelial cells of neonatal mice

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15580278
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied veterinary science
• Research Institution: RAKUNO GAKUEN UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: TANIYAMA Hiroyuki RAKUNO GAKUEN UNIVERSITY, VETERINARY MEDICINE, VETERINARY PATHOLOGY, PROFESSOR, 獣医学部, 教授 (90133800)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HAGIWARA Katsurou VETERINARY MEDICINE, VETERINARY VIROLOGY, ASSOCIATE POFESSOR, 獣医学部, 助教授 (50295896) ; MURAMATSU Yasukazu VETERINARY MEDICINE, VETERINARY PATHOLOGY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, 獣医学部, 助教授 (50254701)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Keywords: PrPsc / BSE / scrapei / suckling mouse / intestine / immunohistchemistry

Research Abstract

Using an immunohistochemical method, we attempted to detect the transmission of abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) to the enterocytes of the small intestine of neonatal mice by oral exposure with sheep brain affected by scrapie. Five 1-day-old neonatal mice were exposed by oral inoculation to the homogenized brain of a scrapie-affected sheep. In the small intestine of all mice 1 hour after inoculation, immunoreactivity with antinormal prion protein (PrPc) antibody was seen in the cytoplasm of viilus enterocytes. This finding suggests transmission of abnormal PrPsc into the cytoplasm of enterocytes. In control mice treated with normal sheep brain, no PrPc signal was seen in enterocytes of the small intestine. Immunopositivity for neurofilament protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein was seen in the cytoplasm of enterocytes of mice inoculated with scrapie and normal sheep brain. This suggests that the enterocytes of neonatal mice can absorb PrPsc and other macromolecular proteins of the sheep brain affected by scrapie and may be more important than previously thought as a pathway for PrPsc transmission in neonatal animals. After 7 days to 3months of oral inoculation to the homogenized brain of a scrapie-affected sheep, immunoreactivity with antinormal prion protein (PrPc) antibody was not seen in the cytoplasm of villus enterocytes and other tissues in the mucosa. The results suggest that the term of the transmission of abnormal priors protein (PrPsc) ineeds over 3 months and another system of the transmission is present in the mucosa of mouse. Lam inine reseptor (LR) and normal prion were more frequently present in the cytoplasm of enterocytes of suckling mice and young cattle than adult mice and cattle, thus young animals have the higher risk of transmission of abnormal prion than adult animals, via the gastrointestinal menbrane.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Experimental transmission of abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) in the small intestinal epithelial cells of neonatal mice (2003)
  • Author(s): M.Okamoto, H.Furuoka, M.Horiuchi, T.Noguchi, K.Hagiwara, Y.Muramatsu, K.Tomonaga, M.Tsuji, C.Ishihara, K.Ikuta, H.Taniyama
  • Journal Title: Veterinary Pathology 40 Pages: 723-727
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Experimental transmission of abnormal prion protein (PrPsc) in the small intestinal epithelial cells of neonatal mice. (2003)
  • Author(s): M.Okamoto, H.Furuoka, M.Horiuchi, T.Noguchi, K.Hagiwara, Y.Muramatsu, K.Tomonaga, M.Tsuji, C.Ishihara, K.Ikuta, H.Taniyama
  • Journal Title: Veterinary Pathology 40(6) Pages: 723-727
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より