Research shows that bacteria use hydrogen peroxide to weaken the immune system and cause pneumonia. Hydrogen peroxide is also known as a bleaching agent that is used to whiten teeth or hair, as a stain remover, as well as for cleaning surfaces and disinfecting wounds.
"By using hydrogen peroxide to defeat the immune system, you could say that the bacteria are fighting fire with fire. The body itself also produces hydrogen peroxide as a defence against the bacteria. Therefore, it was surprising to see that many types of bacteria actually use the same substance to overcome the body´s defences," says research leader.
Streptococcus pneumoniae.often called pneumococcus, is the most common bacterium causing pneumonia but can also cause, among other illnesses, meningitis or severe sepsis. In addition, this bacterium can pave the way for other microbes to attack. This makes the bacterium one of the most deadly in the world. At the same time, many people have the bacterium in the upper respiratory tract as a part of the normal flora without falling ill or even knowing about it. It is therefore important to understand how pneumococci affect the body's immune system.
The ultimate goal of any invading microbe is to reside peacefully within our bodies without evoking a strong inflammatory reaction that may result in the elimination of the microbe or cause us harm. The researchers have found that pneumococcus and other bacteria accomplish this by targeting a key component of the immune system - the inflammasomes. Inflammasomes are protein complexes, which upon recognizing foreign molecules, for example those found in microbes or damaged cells, initiate reactions to kill microbes and to clear diseased cells. The researchers found that bacteria such as pneumococci release large quantities of hydrogen peroxide, and that this causes inactivation of inflammasomes thereby weakening the immune system.
In mice models, the researchers observed that bacteria manipulated to produce less hydrogen peroxide were unable to inactivate inflammasomes and therefore elicited a faster inflammatory response that effectively cleared the bacteria from mouse lungs. The researchers also found that by inoculating the mice with a special enzyme, catalase, which breaks down hydrogen peroxide, one could increase the inflammation and inflammatory symptoms, leading to faster elimination of pneumococci from the lung.
"Inflammation often has negative connotations. However, for the body inflammation is an important process in the immune system's defence against attacking microbes. Most microbes produce hydrogen peroxide to varying degrees. Our studies demonstrate that hydrogen peroxide is an inhibitor of an important component of the inflammatory machinery suggesting that the mechanism we have uncovered is a common strategy employed by many microbes to thrive within us," says the first author in the study.
"One of the best known substances with the ability to neutralize hydrogen peroxide and that could hence boost anti-bacterial immunity are vitamins such as Vitamin C found in fruits. Perhaps the old adage 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' is not off the mark," adds the senior author.
https://www.umu.se/en/news/bacteria-in-pneumonia-attack-using-bleaching-agent_8297862/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-11169-x
Pneumonia bacteria use hydrogen peroxide to compromise host immune system
- 1,661 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Personalized brain modeling…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Jan
Afternoon chemotherapy impr…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Jan
Propionic acid protects ner…
By newseditor
Posted 28 Jan
How cells prevent harmful e…
By newseditor
Posted 28 Jan
Structured cerebellar conne…
By newseditor
Posted 28 Jan
Other Top Stories
Brain cells that suppress cravings identified!
Read more
Dual and opposing role for a single protein in the brain
Read more
Receptor Protein in Brain Promotes Resilience to Stress
Read more
The molecular mechanisms behind addiction and relapse
Read more
AI neural network detects heart failure from single heartbeat
Read more
Protocols
Machine learning prediction…
By newseditor
Posted 09 Jan
Differentiating PC12 cells…
By newseditor
Posted 09 Jan
Ultrasensitive sensors reve…
By newseditor
Posted 05 Jan
In vitro-derived medium spi…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jan
Molecular and spatial signa…
By newseditor
Posted 30 Dec
Publications
HIF-1a accumulation in resp…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Jan
Electrical signals in the E…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Jan
Parathyroid hormone recepto…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Jan
Plasma biomarker profiles i…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Jan
Chemotherapy delivery time…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Jan
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 10 Mar
ASCO-2020-GYNECOLOGIC CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 10 Mar