Adhesion of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae to cultured rat aortic endothelial cells. Role of bacterial neuraminidase in the induction of arteritis.

The adhesion of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E. rhusiopathiae) to the cultured confluent monolayer of rat aortic endothelial cells (EC) and the role of neuraminidase in the interaction between EC and E. rhusiopathiae were examined. One EC line was obtained by collagenase treatment of rat aorta. The EC showed a typical cobblestone appearance and possessed the factor VIII related antigen. When cultured more than two weeks after reaching confluence, the EC formed a vascular plexus-like appearance. E. rhusiopathiae began to adhere to EC within 2 minutes after the beginning of culture and adhered at a constant rate for 20 minutes. The adhesion of bacteria to EC was closely related to the release of sialic acid from the EC. Significantly more bacteria adhered to neuraminidase treated EC, and bacterial adhesion was inhibited dose-dependently by N-acetylneuraminic-lactose, which is the substrate of bacterial neuraminidase. It is concluded that bacterial neuraminidase plays an essential role in initiating the interaction between EC and E. rhusiopathiae, which would contribute to the genesis of arteritis.