NR AXUS
AU Porcario,C.; Corona,C.; Martucci,F.; Iulini,B.; Manea,B.; Mazza,M.; Pezzolato,M.; Perazzini,A.Z.; Bona,M.C.; Acutis,P.L.; Caramelli,M.; Casalone,C.
TI Pathological Prion Protein in the Olfactory System of Sheep Affected by Natural Scrapie
QU International Conference - Prion 2007 (26.-28.9.2007) Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Book of Abstracts: Pathology and Pathogenesis P03.50
IA http://www.prion2007.com/pdf/Prion Book of Abstracts.pdf
PT Konferenz-Poster
AB
The investigation of prion deposition in mucosal surfaces undergoing normal turnover is crucial to discover the possible infectivity of excreta and to evaluate their role in the horizontal transmission of prion diseases. Nasal mucosa infection by prions has recently been described in hamsters after intracerebral challenge.
The present study was focused to determine whether prion protein is present in the olfactory system (OS) of natural scrapie affected sheep, examining both the olfactory mucosa and its related brain areas.
Samples of nasal mucosa taken at the level of ethmoturbinates, ventral nasal concha and nasal septum from 24 natural scrapie affected sheep were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot (WB) for the presence of scrapie prion protein (PrPsc). OS related brain areas of the selected sheep (olfactory bulb, olfactory tract, frontal cortex, pyriform lobe and hippocampus) were analyzed too.
Twenty one samples of olfactory mucosa were positive by WB; IHC confirmed WB positive results in 10 cases. Prion spread was assessed both in peripheral and central OS of the examined sheep. PrPsc was mainly localized at the level of ethmoturbinates in the perineurium of olfactory nerve bundles, but it was also discovered in nasal lymphoid tissue, nasal mucus and in olfactory receptor neurons. PrPsc deposition in brain always occurred in olfactory bulb, less in the other areas. Submeningeal, subependymal and perivascular were the prevalent patterns detected.
Our results are consistent with OS involvement in natural scrapie infection. Moreover, the finding of PrPsc both in the brain areas directly in contact to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and in the olfactory nerve perineurium bounding the subdural space extension that surrounds nerve rootlets, might be consistent with PrPsc presence in CSF, though this has never been assessed before. Further studies are in progress to substantiate CSF potential role to convey scrapie infectivity.
AD C. Porcario, C. Corona, F. Martucci, B. Iulini, B. Manea, M. Mazza, M. Pezzolato, A.Z. Perazzini, M.C. Bona, P.L. Acutis, M. Caramelli, C. Casalone, CEA-Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Italy
SP englisch
PO Schottland