Exploring the Role of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures Using a Mouse Model of Bacteria-Infected Lungs.

Abstract

Animal models can be helpful tools for deciphering the generation, maintenance, and role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) during infections or tumor development. We describe here the establishment of a persistent lung infection in immune-competent mice by intratracheal instillation of agarose beads containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. After instillation, animals develop a chronic pulmonary infection, marked by the presence of TLS. This experimental setting allows the study of the function of TLS induced by bacteria encountered in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) as P. aeruginosa and S. aureus are the two main bacterial strains that infect bronchi of adult CF patients. Additionally, we describe also how to manipulate the immune response in these infected animals by targeting immune cells involved in TLS function. Overall, this approach makes it possible to explore the role of chronic inflammation in the induction and maintenance of TLS in infected tissues.

• Authors: Jean-Luc Teillaud, Lucile Regard, Clémence Martin, Sophie Sibéril, Pierre-Régis Burgel
• Journal: Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) (Methods Mol Biol) Vol. 1845 Pg. 223-239 ( 2018) ISSN: 1940-6029 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30141016 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers

Topics

• Animals
• Biomarkers
• Disease Models, Animal
• Immunohistochemistry
• Lymphocyte Depletion
• Lymphocyte Subsets (immunology, metabolism)
• Mice
• Pneumonia (immunology, metabolism, microbiology, pathology)
• Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (immunology, metabolism, pathology)