›› 2015, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (8): 2169-2175.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2015.08.035

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Study on Infection of Staphylococcus aureus Small Colony Variants on Mammary Epithelial Cells in Vitro

WANG Qi-hui1, ZHU Li-li1, SHI Yong-qiang1, ZHU Juan2, QU Wei-jie1   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China;
    2. Management Office of Qingdao City Zoo, Qingdao 266003, China
  • Received:2015-02-03 Online:2015-08-20 Published:2015-08-27

Abstract: In order to study the situation of S. aureus small colony variants (SASCVs) and the normal strains hitting the mammary epithelial cells of primary culture, we observed and compared the degree of damage to the cellular structure and the effects on mammary epithelial cells. This test was carried out with a strain of SASCV which was separated by Yunnan Agricultural University Animal Medical Experimental Teaching Center Laboratory via infecting mice mammary epithelial cells in vitro. We put the SASCVs and quality control strains ATCC 25923 respectively into the mammary epithelial cells cultivated in vitro in the laboratory, and observed the morphological change of mammary epithelial cell apoptosis induced by quality control strains ATCC 25923 and SASCVs using ordinary light microscope and scanning electron microscope; At the same time, we also observed the mammary gland epithelial cells apoptosis induced by quality control strains ATCC 25923 and SASCVs using flow cytometry (Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining). The results showed that 3 h after quality control strains and small colony mutant strains infecting the mammary epithelial cells, the mammary epithelial cells could be induced to apoptosis. It showed some typical characteristics of apoptosis such as the nucleus shrivelled, chromatin marginalized, mammary gland epithelial cells could be induced apoptosis, expression was shrinking nucleus, chromatin marginalized, the increase of cell intracytoplasmic vacuoles and so on. After testing using the Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, we found that compared with the control group, the apoptosis rate of infection group was obviously higher, and the apoptosis rate of the positive control group was obviously higher than that of the experimental group. The results showed that in the process of infecting cells, the SASCVs reached a certain number and then stopped; The apoptosis rate of SASCVs was obviously lower than the normal of S.aureus. Therefore, SASCVs could also induce mammary epithelial cells apoptosis. It had the typical morphological characteristics of apoptosis. It provided experimental basis for the prevention and control of SASCVs chronic mastitis cows.

Key words: Staphylococcus aureus and its small colony variants; mammary epithelial cells in mouse; cell culture; infection in vitro; apoptosis

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