Journal article
Interaction between bacteria and cholesterol crystals: Implications for endocarditis and atherosclerosis
PloS one, Vol.17(2), pp.e0263847-e0263847
02/18/2022
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263847
PMCID: PMC8856546
PMID: 35180238
Abstract
The interaction between pathogenic bacteria and cholesterol crystals (CCs) has not been investigated. However, CCs are found extensively in atherosclerotic plaques and sclerotic cardiac valves. Interactions between pathogenic bacteria and CCs could provide insights into destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques and bacterial adhesion to cardiac valves.
Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to assess in vitro bacterial adhesion to CCs and proliferation in the presence of CCs compared to plastic microspheres and glass shards as controls. Ex vivo studies evaluated bacterial adhesion to atherosclerotic rabbit arteries compared to normal arteries and human atherosclerotic carotid plaques compared to normal carotid arteries. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to visualize bacterial adhesion to CCs and confocal microscopy was used to detect cholesterol binding to bacteria grown in the presence or absence of CCs.
In vitro, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa displayed significantly greater adhesion, 36% (p<0.0001) and 89% (p<0.0001), respectively, and growth upon exposure to CCs compared to microspheres or glass shards. Rabbit and human atherosclerotic arteries contained significantly greater bacterial burdens compared to controls (4× (p<0.0004); 3× (p<0.019), respectively. SEM demonstrated that bacteria adhered and appeared to degrade CCs. Consistent with this, confocal microscopy indicated increased cholesterol bound to the bacterial cells.
This study is the first to demonstrate an interaction between bacteria and CCs showing that bacteria dissolve and bind to CCs. This interaction helps to elucidate adhesion of bacteria to sclerotic valves and atherosclerotic plaques that may contribute to endocarditis and plaque destabilization.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Interaction between bacteria and cholesterol crystals: Implications for endocarditis and atherosclerosis
- Creators
- Manel Boumegouas - Michigan State UniversityManjunath Raju - Michigan State UniversityJoseph Gardiner - Michigan State UniversityNeal Hammer - Michigan State UniversityYehia Saleh - Houston MethodistAbdullah Al-Abcha - Sparrow HospitalApoorv Kalra - Infectious Disease ConsultantsGeorge S Abela - Michigan State University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- PloS one, Vol.17(2), pp.e0263847-e0263847
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0263847
- PMID
- 35180238
- PMCID
- PMC8856546
- NLM abbreviation
- PLoS One
- ISSN
- 1932-6203
- eISSN
- 1932-6203
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/18/2022
- Academic Unit
- Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984755393702771
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