Bartonella henselae Persistence within Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Enhances Endothelial Cells Activation and Infectability Amplifying the Angiogenic Process

Some bacterial pathogens can manipulate the angiogenic response, suppressing or inducing it for their own ends. In humans, B. henselae is associated with cat-scratch disease and vasculoproliferative disorders such as bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis. Although endothelial cells (ECs) support the pathogenesis of Bartonella, the mechanisms by which Bartonella induces EC activation are not completely clear, as well as the possible contribution of other cells recruited at the site of infection. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are endowed with angiogenic potential and play a dual role in infections exerting antimicrobial properties but also acting as a shelter for pathogens.Here we delved into the role of MSCs as reservoir of Bartonella and modulator of EC functions. B. henselae readily infected MSCs and survived in perinuclear bound vacuoles for up to 8 days. Infection enhanced MSC proliferation and the expression of EGFR, TLR2 and NOD1, proteins that are involved in bacterial internalization and cytokine production. Secretome analysis revealed that infected MSCs secreted higher levels of the proangiogenic factors VEGF, FGF-7, MMP-9, PIGF, serpin E1, TSP-1, uPA, IL-6, PDGF-D, CCL5 and CXCL8. Supernatants from B. henselae-infected MSCs increased the susceptibility of ECs to B. henselae infection and enhanced EC proliferation, invasion and reorganization in tube-like structures.Altogether, these results candidate MSCs as a still underestimated niche for B. henselae persistent infection and reveal a MSC-EC crosstalk that may contribute to exacerbate bacterial-induced angiogenesis and granuloma formation.