Year: 1983
Type: article
Abstract: Within infected tissue Treponema pallidum shows a characteristic predilection for perivascular areas. After intact capillaries had been prepared from rabbit brain tissue treponemes were incubated with isolated capillaries and visualised by darkfield, phase contrast, and scanning electron microscopy. The organisms rapidly attached to the surface of the capillaries at the tip of the treponeme; attached organisms retained motility for longer periods than unattached organisms. Treponema pertenue also attached to capillaries. Heat-inactivated T pallidum and three non-pathogenic treponemes did not, however, attach to the capillaries. Immune rabbit serum contains a factor that blocks the attachment of T pallidum to capillaries. Compared with cultured mammalian cells capillaries should provide a better tool for investigating host-parasite relationships in syphilis.
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections
DOI: 10.1136/sti.59.1.11
Authors: E E Quist, L A Repesh, R Zeleznikar, T J Fitzgerald
Institution: University of Minnesota, Duluth
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2077024418