# Clostridium perfringens Type A Isolated from Intestinal Contents of Alpaca

## TL;DR

A Clostridium perfringens type A strain from an alpaca's intestine caused severe intestinal and immune damage in mice, suggesting its potential role in disease.

## Contribution

The study identifies a C. perfringens type A strain from alpaca and demonstrates its pathogenic effects in mice, including immune activation and mucosal damage.

## Key findings

- C. perfringens type A caused severe duodenal pathology and immune cell infiltration in mice.
- The toxin triggered CD8+ T cell activation and disrupted intestinal barrier proteins like ZO-1 and Occludin.
- The strain's pathogenicity was confirmed through laboratory identification and in vivo experiments.

## Abstract

A Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) type A strain was isolated and identified from a dead alpaca’s intestine. The pathogenicity of C. perfringens in mice was then determined using the intragastric method with a bacterial supernatant and showed severe duodenal pathology, including epithelial basement membrane detachment and splenic white pulp dilation with the dominant distribution of CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the intestinal barrier was disrupted by the decreased expressions of ZO-1 and Occludin in the duodenal mucosa. The results indicate that the α toxin produced by the type A strain triggers CD8+ T cell activation, aggravating immune response and mucosal damage.

C. perfringens is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium that causes serious diseases in humans and animals. In this study, C. perfringens was isolated from the intestinal content of an alpaca, cultured, and then identified using laboratory methods including Gram staining, biochemical tests, and PCR for 16S rRNA of six toxins. Furthermore, the pathogenicity of different strains was analyzed in mice. The results showed that C. perfringens was identified as type A and caused severe pathology of the spleen, lungs, and duodenum in mice through CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Also, the mRNA expression levels of ZO-1 and Occludin were further quantified by qRT-PCR with normalization to β-actin, which showed decreased expression levels in the duodenum of mice in the gavage group compared to those in the NC groups, with significant differences (n = 3; * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01). The results could inform the development of drugs and vaccines resistant to C. perfringens in alpaca.