Mice Lacking Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 5 Are Resistant to Listeria monocytogenes.

To investigate the role of fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5) in infectious diseases, FABP5-deficient mice were challenged with Listeria monocytogenes, a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen. Interestingly, FABP5-deficient animals were able to clear the infection within 3 days whereas control wild-type (WT) animals showed comparatively higher bacterial burdens in the liver and spleen. Sections of infected tissues showed an increase in inflammatory foci in WT mice compared to FABP5-deficient mice.

Impact of fatty acid binding protein 5-deficiency on COPD exacerbations and cigarette smoke-induced inflammatory response to bacterial infection.

Background: Although cigarette smoking (CS) is by far the most important risk factor of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), repeated and sustained infections are clearly linked to disease pathogenesis and are responsible for acute inflammatory flares (i.e. COPD exacerbations).