Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Micro-opioid receptor in Malassezia pachydermatis affects enzyme
By Cafarchia, C et al.·Published in Medical mycology·2010·Department of Veterinary Public Health, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Expression of the micro-opioid receptor on Malassezia pachydermatis and its effect in modulating phospholipase production.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with skin problems, specifically dermatitis, had higher levels of a harmful enzyme produced by a yeast called Malassezia pachydermatis compared to healthy dogs. Researchers found that this yeast had a specific receptor that might influence its ability to produce this enzyme, which can worsen skin lesions. The study suggests that the presence of this receptor could be linked to the skin issues seen in affected dogs. Understanding this connection may help veterinarians develop better treatments for dogs suffering from skin infections caused by this yeast.
People also search for: dog skin problems yeast infection · Malassezia pachydermatis treatment · dermatitis in dogs causes
Abstract
Malassezia spp. may act as opportunistic skin pathogens in humans and animals. Malassezia pachydermatis proliferation and phospholipase production may play a pathogenic role in the occurrence of skin lesions in dogs. This study investigates the presence of mu-opioid receptor (MOR) in M. pachydermatis strains isolated from healthy dogs and dogs with skin lesions and its effects on phospholipase activity (p.a.). P.a. of 64 M. pachydermatis isolates was evaluated using different concentrations of naloxone (Nx), a MOR antagonist. Isolates were divided into Group A (i.e., 40 isolates from 26 dogs with dermatitis) and Group B (i.e., 24 isolates from 12 healthy dogs). The MOR expression was analyzed by Western blot and immunofluorescence. A statistically higher p.a. than that of the controls was found with isolates in Group A at a Nx concentration of 10(-6) M (P<0.05). No isolate in Group B displayed p.a. in either control samples or in the presence of any Nx concentration. Immunoblotting revealed two positive MOR immunoreactive bands of approximately 65 and 98 kDa. MOR expression and localization was also demonstrated by immunofluorescence in isolates from Groups A and B. This study provides the first evidence of MOR expression on M. pachydermatis cell membranes pointing to its possible role in modulating p.a. production in isolates from dogs with skin lesions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19225979/