engleski

Mouse strain dependent response to experimental Campylobacter jejuni infection

Understanding the patophysiology of campylobacteriosis has been slowly progressing, partially because an appropriate experimental model is lacking. In this study we investigated the course of Campylobacter jejuni infection in three different inbred mouse strains: BALB/c (H-2d), C57BL/6 (H-2b) and DBA/2 (H-2d). After intraperitoneal (i.p.) inoculation of 1 x 109 CFU of C. jejuni, tissues were sampled and analyzed by microbiologic and histopathologic methods for 25 days post infection (p.i.). Although none of the mice died or showed clinical signs of the illness, systemic infection was achieved as determined by isolation of C. jejuni from the livers and spleens of all infected mice. The highest bacterial load, the longest duration of infection and the most pronounced histopathological changes were found in the liver tissue of BALB/c mice, followed by DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice. Differences in bacterial growth kinetics were also observed in the spleens of the infected animals. Splenic infection started 72 hours after i.p. inoculation in BALB/c and DBA/2 mice in comparison to C57BL/6 mice where C. jejuni could not be isolated till day 6 p.i. It can be concluded that mouse represents an useful and reproducible experimental model for studies of pathogenesis and immunity to C. jejuni infection. However, inbred mouse strains vary in their responsiveness to campylobacteriosis and the differences among mouse strains should be taken into account when planning in vivo experiments.

Campylobacter jejuni; mice; liver; spleen

nije evidentirano