Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog on January 23, 2025
Gut pain following a meal? It could be your immune system at work!
We’ve all been there. Sushi at a Chinese food buffet. Hot dogs from a shady food cart. Potluck casserole made by your quirky cousin. Raw oysters out of season.
We all know better. But sometimes… We let our mouth and tastebuds override our brain’s better judgement.
What do we get in turn?
Food poisoning.
The tell-tale gut pain associated with certain bacterial infections could be an immune response. Or at least a side effect of it.
A recent study using zebrafish (I disappointedly discovered only marginally resembles a zebra) as a model discovered the role intestinal spasms, often contributing to gut pain during bacterial infections, have is an immune response to Vibrio cholerae.
These zebrafish are translucent in the larvae stage of development, allowing an amazing view of the anatomy at work. How convenient!
But how does bacteria have the ability to cause this phenomenon? That is what this study was designed to explain.
Let’s explore!
A University of Oregon study ,led by Julia Ngo, investigated how Vibrio cholerae microbes trigger painful contractions during bacterial infection response. A discovery that helps to explain how the gut removes unwanted, foreign bacteria. And why.
Knowledge that may help scientists understand other chronic conditions of the gut, like inflammatory bowel disease.
Researchers started with a known anatomical feature of this particular bacteria. They believe that one of the contributing factors that attribute to gut pain following Vibrio infection to is the bacteria’s sword.
Yes.
I said sword.
While indicating that Vibrio bacteria are armed (quite literally) with a sword-like appendage might generate a mental image of a battling army of tiny soldiers, it isn’t too far off from reality.
In addition to using this appendage as a weapon against other microbes, it can also cause damage to intestinal lining.
En guarde!
When researchers disarmed the bacteria, (Ha! Another visual image) gut contractions appeared to calm.
But they weren’t sure why. Which became the topic of this research.
These researchers found that a type of immune cell known as a macrophage had quite a bit to do with the process.
Normally, macrophages keep the neurons in the gut calm and happy. They keep things moving at the speed they should. When tissue becomes damaged, however, these gate keepers leave their posts and approach the area.
This leaves those neurons tasked with keeping the flow of traffic slow and steady to their own devices. Without their macrophage guardians, neurons go into overdrive.
Everybody out!
Cue strong contractions and the resulting gut pain!
Researchers observed this phenomenon by tracking cells throughout the process. Remember those translucent not-a-real-zebra zebrafish? They literally observed it! Albeit on a microscopic level.
“It’s amazing how dynamic all these cells are, the macrophages racing across the fish, the neurons and muscles pulsing with activity,” said Raghu Parthasarathy, physics professor and contributing author. “Without the ability to observe these phenomena in live animals, tracking cells and measuring gut contractions, we wouldn’t have figured any of this out.”
Those same contractions, despite causing gut pains in the host, are beneficial both in zebrafish and human alike.
“If the macrophages have to deal with an injury, then it actually makes a lot of sense for the neurons to freak out and just push everything out of the gut,” says Karen Guillemin, biology professor and contributing author. “If there’s something in the gut that’s causing injury, you want to get it out of there.”
I’m thinking so. But is there more than the obvious process at play here?
Does this response also benefit the attacking bacteria.
While it would seem that giving an expedient purge from the host body, the bacteria can go one to infect new hosts more quickly. It doesn’t seem as though this fast lane waws created by the bacteria’s adaptive evolution. It does, however, make for a “convenient coincidence,” says Guillemin.
“This isn’t a specific nefarious activity of the Vibrio bacteria,” she says. “The gut is a system where the default is, when there’s damage, you flush.” Gut pain just happens to be another unfortunate side effect for the poor host.
This study focused on Vibrio cholerae. But what exactly is it?
Vibrio cholerae is a bacterial infection responsible for the intestinal illness, cholera. Cholera is caused by drinking water or eating food containing the cholera bacteria.
It can live in brackish water, contaminated water, and sewage.
Because certain sea creatures are filter feeders, Vibrio are commonly associated with contaminated seafood. Oysters, for example.
While many people don’t get sick from the infection (often in areas where cholerae is endemic), others can experience life-threatening watery diarrhea and vomiting.
Each year an estimated 1.3 to 4 million people around the world become sick with cholera. Somewhere between 21,000 and 143,000 people die. This wide range accounts for deficiencies in data tracking observed in many countries.
Common symptoms of cholerae include watery diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps. Dehydration is a serious concern with cholerae illness, as the body often loses more fluids and salts than it can take in. Those with severe cholerae illness require prompt medical attention and often hospitalization.
This study is likely just one of many involving gut pain and digestive system immune response to foodborne bacterial infections. Understanding how the digestive system, immune system, and nervous system interact could shed light on a whole range of other diseases.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “New Research Shows How Gut Pain Is Your Body’s Response to Bad Bacteria,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)