The pathophysiology of inhalational brucellosis in BALB/c mice.

Abstract

To characterize the clinical presentation and pathophysiology of inhalational brucellosis, Balb/c mice were challenged with Brucella melitensis 16M in a nose-only aerosol exposure chamber. A low dose of 1000 cfu/animal of B. melitensis resulted in 45% of mice with tissue burdens eight weeks post-challenge. The natural history of brucellosis in mice challenged by higher aerosol doses was examined by serial euthanizing mice over an eight week period. Higher challenge doses of 1.00E+05 and 5.00E+05 cfu resulted in positive blood cultures 14 days post-challenge and bacterial burdens were observed in the lung, liver and/or spleens 14 days post-challenge. In addition, the progression of brucellosis was similar between mice challenged by the intranasal and aerosol routes. The results from this study support the use of the Balb/c aerosol nose-only brucellosis mouse model for the evaluation of therapeutics against inhalational brucellosis.

• Authors: Lisa N Henning, Karen T Gillum, David A Fisher, Roy E Barnewall, Robert T Krile, Michael S Anderson, Michael J Ryan, Richard L Warren
• Journal: Scientific reports (Sci Rep) Vol. 2 Pg. 495 ( 2012) ISSN: 2045-2322 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22773944 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Topics

• Administration, Inhalation
• Administration, Intranasal
• Animals
• Body Temperature
• Brucella melitensis (pathogenicity)
• Brucellosis (microbiology, pathology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Female
• Hematologic Tests
• Liver (microbiology, pathology)
• Lung (microbiology, pathology)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Spleen (microbiology, pathology)