Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Mortality of Vibrio vulnificus infection is more than 50% in patients, and a large amount of Vibrio vulnificus intrude into the blood. Vascular endothelial cells are the first barrier to stop Vibrio vulnificus.
OBJECTIVE: To observe effect of Vibrio vulnificus on proliferation and morphology of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
METHODS: The human umbilical vein endothelial cells at log growth phase were digested, adjusted at a density of 5×10⁸ cfu/L and incubated with Vibrio vulnificus (10⁴, 10⁵, 10⁶, 10⁷cfu/L). In addition, cells cultured with DMEM medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum served as normal control group. Using trypan blue exclusion staining method was used to detect cell survival; MTT method to observe influence of Vibrio vulnificus on cell proliferation; cell area and circumference, nucleus area, ratio of nucleus and cytoplasm, as well as irregular shape index were observed by light microscopy.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: With increasing concentration and duration of Vibrio vulnificus, cell proliferation was gradually weakened. The cell area and circumference, the nucleus area, and the ratio of nucleus and cytoplasm were significantly increased compared with the control group; the irregular shape index was more deviated than the control group. Results show that Vibrio vulnificus significantly inhibits proliferation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and the inhibition relates to the concentration and duration of Vibrio vulnificus.