Abstract
The cytolysin produced by V. vulnificus has been known to cause lethality by increasing pulmonary vascular permeability in mice. In the present study, its cytotoxic mechanism on CPAE cell, a cell line of pulmonary endothelial cell, has been investigated. The cytolysin rapidly bound on CPAE cells and killed approximately 80% of the cells at 1.0 HU as determined by trypan blue exclusion test. The death of CPAE cells was associated with the formation of transmembrane pore evidenced by rapid flow of monovalent ions in patch clamp of CPAE cell membrane. The cytolysin decreased cellular ATP levels to less than 30% of control at 0.25 HU. The incubation of cytolysin in the presence of cholesterol completely inhibited its cytotoxic effect on CPAE cells, suggesting that cholesterol on CPAE cell membrane is the probable binding site for cytolysin. These results suggest that the death of CPAE cell induced by cytolysin is due to the depletion of cellular ATP levels by the formation of small transmembrane pores, which are permeable to monovalent ions, but not to LDH.
Highlights
Vibrio vulnificus is an estaurine bacterium that is recognized as an etiological agent of septicemia and serious wound infection in humans who are immunocompromised or have underlying diseases such as liver cirrhosis or hemochromatosis (Hollis et al, 1976; Blake et al, 1980; Park et al, 1991). Kreger and Lockwood (1981) demonstrated that the cytolysin present in culture medium of V. vulnificus showed hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity for mammalian cells in culture, and acted as a vascular permeability factor
The extensive tissue damage which occurred in mice after subcutaneous injection of the cytolysin, and was very simillar to that observed during V. vulnificus wound infections (Gray and Kreger, 1989)
It has been known that Escherichia coli hemolysin increases the permeability of pulmonary artery endothelial cell monolayers (Suttorp, et al, 1990), and the stimulation of polymorphonuclear leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells by bacterial exotoxins may be relevant in patient with severe local or systemic bacterial infections (Krüll et al, 1996)
Summary
Vibrio vulnificus is an estaurine bacterium that is recognized as an etiological agent of septicemia and serious wound infection in humans who are immunocompromised or have underlying diseases such as liver cirrhosis or hemochromatosis (Hollis et al, 1976; Blake et al, 1980; Park et al, 1991). Kreger and Lockwood (1981) demonstrated that the cytolysin present in culture medium of V. vulnificus showed hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity for mammalian cells in culture, and acted as a vascular permeability factor. Kreger and Lockwood (1981) demonstrated that the cytolysin present in culture medium of V. vulnificus showed hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity for mammalian cells in culture, and acted as a vascular permeability factor. In order to determine the binding activity of cytolysin, CPAE cells were incubated with cytolysin at 4 ̊C.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
