Browsing by Author "Appelberg, Rui"
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- Heme catabolism by heme oxygenase-1 confers host resistance to Mycobacterium infectionPublication . Silva-Gomes, Sandro; Appelberg, Rui; Larsen, Rasmus; Soares, Miguel Parreira; Gomes, Maria SaloméHeme oxygenases (HO) catalyze the rate-limiting step of heme degradation. The cytoprotective action of the inducible HO-1 isoform, encoded by the Hmox1 gene, is required for host protection against systemic infections. Here we report that upregulation of HO-1 expression in macrophages (M) is strictly required for protection against mycobacterial infection in mice. HO-1-deficient (Hmox1(-/-)) mice are more susceptible to intravenous Mycobacterium avium infection, failing to mount a protective granulomatous response and developing higher pathogen loads, than infected wild-type (Hmox1(+/+)) controls. Furthermore, Hmox1(-/-) mice also develop higher pathogen loads and ultimately succumb when challenged with a low-dose aerosol infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The protective effect of HO-1 acts independently of adaptive immunity, as revealed in M. avium-infected Hmox1(-/-) versus Hmox1(+/+) SCID mice lacking mature B and T cells. In the absence of HO-1, heme accumulation acts as a cytotoxic pro-oxidant in infected M, an effect mimicked by exogenous heme administration to M. avium-infected wild-type M in vitro or to mice in vivo. In conclusion, HO-1 prevents the cytotoxic effect of heme in M, contributing critically to host resistance to Mycobacterium infection.
- Studies in the mouse model identify strain variability as a major determinant of disease outcome in Leishmania infantum infectionPublication . Marques, Filipe; Vale-Costa, Sílvia; Cruz, Tânia; Marques, Joana Moreira; Silva, Tânia; Neves, João Vilares; Cortes, Sofia; Fernandes, Ana; Rocha, Eduardo; Appelberg, Rui; Rodrigues, Pedro; Tomás, Ana M.; Gomes, Maria SaloméVisceral leishmaniasis is a severe and potentially fatal disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. In Europe and the Mediterranean region, L. infantum is the commonest agent of visceral leishmaniasis, causing a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, including asymptomatic carriage, cutaneous lesions and severe visceral disease. Visceral leishmaniasis is more frequent in immunocompromised individuals and data obtained in experimental models of infection have highlighted the importance of the host immune response, namely the efficient activation of host's macrophages, in determining infection outcome. Conversely, few studies have addressed a possible contribution of parasite variability to this outcome.