Abstract
Chlamydia suis (C. suis) resides in the intestines of pigs and tetracycline-resistant strains are emerging worldwide. Intestinal infections are often subclinical. However, the gut is regarded as a C. suis reservoir and clinical infections have been associated with enteritis, conjunctivitis, pneumonia and reproductive failure. C. suis was found in boar semen and venereal transmission occurred. We studied the anti-Chlamydia suis activity of ovotransferrin (ovoTF) and bovine lactoferrin (bLF). Pre-incubation of C. suis with bLF or ovoTF had no significant effect on overall chlamydia replication (mean fluorescence area) in McCoy cells. The addition of ovoTF to the culture medium had no effect on bacterial replication, but the addition of 0.5 or 5 mg/mL of bLF significantly reduced the inclusion size by 17% and 15% respectively. Egg components are used for cryopreservation of boar semen. When inoculating an ovoTF-containing and Chlamydia suis-spiked semen sample in McCoy cells, a significant reduction in inclusion number (by 7%) and overall replication (by 11%) was observed. Thus, we showed that transferrins possess anti-chlamydial activity. Moreover, ovoTF addition to semen extenders might reduce C. suis venereal transmission. Further research is needed to unravel the mechanisms behind the observations and to enhance the effect of transferrins on C. suis.
Highlights
The genus Chlamydia consists of obligate intracellular bacterial species that cause disease in a broad range of host animals
To evaluate the effect on extracellular bacteria, C. suis S45 bacteria were incubated with transferrins prior to inoculation in McCoy cells
Pre-incubation of C. suis with ovoTF or bovine lactoferrin (bLF) had no significant effect on the inclusion number, inclusion size, or overall replication in McCoy cells (Figure 1)
Summary
The genus Chlamydia consists of obligate intracellular bacterial species that cause disease in a broad range of host animals. Chlamydia suis (C. suis) is considered endemic in the intestinal flora of pigs [1]. These intestinal C. suis infections are widespread, they usually remain subclinical [2,3]. Alternatives to antibiotics are urgently needed, as antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly important concern for both human and animal health [18]. There is considerable pressure to diminish antibiotic use in animal production. A critical component of the antimicrobial resistance solution is the development of truly novel and innovative alternatives to antibiotics to cover the diminishing effectiveness of existing antibiotics and to support sustainable antibiotic use, preserving them exclusively for treatment of life-threatening infections
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