02409-A: Targeting Bacterial Adhesion via Blocking the Scavenger Receptor Type B1 in Canine Pyometra
Grant Status: Closed
Abstract
Pyometra is the most common uterine disease in intact bitches leading to potentially life-threatening complications via the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most abundant isolated pathogen causing pyometra. In a previous study the investigators characterized endometrial epithelial foam cells (EEFCs) in the canine endometrial surface occurring in metestrus, the cyclic stage with the most common presence of pyometra. They identified a specialized receptor named scavenger receptor class B1 (SR-B1) expressed in EEFCs. SR-B1 is relevant for lipid-uptake and thereby involved in EEFC formation. SR-B1 is also a strong binding partner for E. coli, and a significant upregulation of SR-B1 in pyometra affected canine uteri was identified. The hypothesis in this study is that blocking of SR-B1 in EEFCs can be used as supportive non-invasive pyometra treatment. Binding capacity of an adherent pyometra-related E. coli strain will be tested in the presence of the functional SR-B1 and in cells in which the SR-B1 is blocked in vitro. The mechanisms behind SR-B1 upregulation will be investigated to gain more information about this pyometra-related target molecule. Multidisciplinary analyses will be applied to identify the effects of blocking SR-B1 on E. coli adherence and inflammatory cytokine release. The reduction of the inflammatory response via blocking the endometrial SR-B1 could be a further benefit of this novel therapeutic approach.
Publication(s)
None at this time.
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