Rickettsia rickettsii induces superoxide radical and superoxide dismutase in human endothelial cells.

Human endothelial cells infected with Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiological agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, undergo striking morphological changes to the endoplasmic reticulum-outer nuclear envelope complex. These changes are accompanied by concurrent accumulation of intracellular peroxides. Both of these findings are consistent with the notion that cells undergo some form of oxidative stress. Since oxidant injury is often initiated or mediated through oxygen radicals, we examined superoxide radical generation when endothelial cells were exposed to R. rickettsii. We also examined the levels of superoxide dismutase, an enzyme induced in response to increased superoxide formation. The levels of both superoxide and superoxide dismutase increased when endothelial cells were exposed to R. rickettsii. These results, together with our previous findings, support our hypothesis that cells infected by this intracellular bacterium experience oxidant-mediated injury that may eventually contribute to cell death.