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Introduction:
In mice, Salmonellatyphimurium was found to penetrate the gut-vascular barrier, gaining access to the bloodstream and liver. Despite it is still unknown how Salmonellatyphimurium disrupts the endothelial barrier, it is known that Plasmalemma Vesicle Associated Protein-1 (PV1), a measure of the “leakiness” of the endothelial barrier, is upregulated in blood capillaries upon Salmonellatyphimurium infection. PV1 is a component of the diaphragms found in endothelial fenestrae, transendothelial channels and caveolae. Salmonellatyphimurium is an important pathogen in swine and the routes of infection and persistence are not fully understood. As only sparse data is available on porcine intestinal endothelium, the aim of the present study was to evaluate its ultrastructure with a focus on fenestration.
Methods:
Samples of small intestine of 4 pigs (before and after weaning) were available from our tissue bank. They were collected upon euthanasia and routinely processed for transmission electron microscopy. Capillaries from villus lamina propria were evaluated for morphology and size, distribution and density of endothelial fenestrae in semithin and ultrathin sections using light and transmission electron microscopy.
Results:
Endothelial cells of subepithelial capillaries were characterized by marked attenuation and extensive fenestration in regions adjacent to the intestinal epithelium. These attenuated areas were void of organelles, caveolae, vesicles, inclusions and filopodia. The diameter of the fenestrae was 66.4 nm (standard deviation 9.3 nm). The fenestral density was found to be 3.1 fenestrae per μm (standard deviation of 0.9). Thicker lateral and distal faces contained numerous organelles and filopodia and the nucleus was almost always positioned toward these sites.
Conclusion:
General morphology of the normal intestinal capillary endothelia and distri-bution as well as morphology of fenestrae was comparable to literature reports for mouse intestine and pig uterine mucosa. In an ongoing project, the influence of stress and pathogens, such as Salmonellatyphimurium, on ultrastructure and fenestrae of the gut-vascular barrier is examined.