No abstract

Leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) is an infectious peripheral neurological disorder caused by Mycobacterium leprae that even today leaves millions of individuals worldwide with life-long disabilities. The specific mechanisms by which this bacterium induces nerve injury remain largely unknown, mainly owing to ethical and practical limitations in obtaining affected human nerve samples. In addition to humans, nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) are the only other natural host of M. leprae, and they develop a systemically disseminated disease with extensive neurological involvement. M. leprae is an obligate intracellular parasite that cannot be cultivated in vitro. Because of the heavy burdens of bacilli they harbor, nine-banded armadillos have become the organism of choice for propagating large quantities of M. leprae, and they are now advancing as models of leprosy pathogenesis and nerve damage. Although armadillos are exotic laboratory animals, the recently completed whole genome sequence for this animal is enabling researchers to undertake more sophisticated molecular studies and to develop armadillo-specific reagents. These advances will facilitate the use of armadillos in piloting new therapies and diagnostic regimens, and will provide new insights into the oldest known infectious neurodegenerative disorder.

No abstract

Mycobacterium leprae infection of peripheral nerves and the subsequent nerve function impairment (NFI), especially in response to reactional episodes, are hallmarks of leprosy. Improved treatments for M. leprae-induced nerve injury are needed, as most if not all of the disability and stigma associated with leprosy arises from the direct or indirect effects of NFI. Nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), like humans, exhibit the full clinical spectrum of leprosy and extensive involvement of the peripheral nerves. In this study, state-of-the-art technology was used to compare nerve function between uninfected and M. leprae-infected armadillos. Motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and compound muscle action potential (cMAP), which measure changes in the rate of impulse conduction velocity and amplitude, revealed a progression of impairment that was directly correlated with the duration of M. leprae infection and enabled development of an objective nerve impairment scoring system. Ultrasonography accompanied by color Doppler imaging detected enlargement of the M. leprae-infected nerves and increased vascularity, possibly due to inflammation. Assessment of epidermal nerve fiber density (ENFD), which shows a length-dependent innervation in armadillos that is similar to humans, identified small fiber degeneration early after M. leprae infection. Staining for neuromuscular junction (NMJ) integrity, which is an indicator of signal transduction efficiency into skeletal muscle, discerned a markedly lower number and structural integrity of NMJ in M. leprae-infected armadillo footpads. These tools for assessing nerve injury were used to monitor the effects of intervention therapy. Two potential neuro-protective drugs, ethoxyquin (EQ) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), were tested for their ability to ameliorate peripheral nerve injury in M. leprae-infected armadillos. 4-AP treatment improved MNCV, cMAP, and EFND compared to untreated animals, while EQ had less effect. These results support the armadillo as a model for M. leprae-induced peripheral nerve injury that can provide insights toward the understanding of NFI progression and contribute to the preclinical investigation of the safety and efficacy of neuro-preventive and neuro-therapeutic interventions for leprosy.