Toll-like receptor 5 stimulation protects mice from acute Clostridium difficile colitis Journal Article


Authors: Jarchum, I.; Liu, M.; Lipuma, L.; Pamer, E. G.
Article Title: Toll-like receptor 5 stimulation protects mice from acute Clostridium difficile colitis
Abstract: Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming bacterium that infects the lower intestinal tract of humans and is the most common known cause of diarrhea among hospitalized patients. Clostridium difficile colitis is mediated by toxins and develops during or following antibiotic administration. We have used a murine model of C. difficile infection, which reproduces the major features of the human disease, to study the effect of innate immune activation on resistance to C. difficile infection. We found that administration of purified Salmonella-derived flagellin, a Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) agonist, protects mice from C. difficile colitis by delaying C. difficile growth and toxin production in the colon and cecum. TLR5 stimulation significantly improves pathological changes in the cecum and colon of C. difficile-infected mice and reduces epithelial cell loss. Flagellin treatment reduces epithelial apoptosis in the large intestine, thereby protecting the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier during C. difficile infection. We demonstrate that restoring intestinal innate immune tone by TLR stimulation in antibiotic-treated mice ameliorates intestinal inflammation and prevents death from C. difficile colitis, potentially providing an approach to prevent C. difficile-induced pathology. © 2011, American Society for Microbiology.
Keywords: controlled study; human cell; nonhuman; mouse; animals; mice; mice, knockout; apoptosis; animal experiment; animal model; drug effect; mice, inbred c57bl; innate immunity; clostridium difficile infection; disease models, animal; clostridium difficile; acute disease; colon mucosa; flagellin; toll like receptor 5; toll-like receptor 5; infection resistance; protection; enterocolitis, pseudomembranous
Journal Title: Infection and Immunity
Volume: 79
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0019-9567
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology  
Date Published: 2011-04-01
Start Page: 1498
End Page: 1503
Language: English
DOI: 10.1128/iai.01196-10
PUBMED: 21245274
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC3067529
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Export Date: 23 June 2011" - "CODEN: INFIB" - "Source: Scopus"
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  1. Eric Pamer
    283 Pamer
  2. Mingyu Liu
    4 Liu
  3. Lauren Beth Lipuma
    14 Lipuma