Mycoplasma pulmonis arthritis in congenitally athymic (nude) mice. Clinical and biological features.
Congenitally athymic BALB/cA nu/nu mice were employed to elucidate the role of the thymus in experimental Mycoplasma pulmonis strain m53 infection, and nu/+ mice were used for comparison. Chronic polyarthritis was frequently produced in both of nu/nu and nu/+ mice by intravenous injection of the organisms. Macroscopically, nu/nu mice developed severer arthritis and a much lower grade of resolution than nu/+ mice. Periarticular abscess, conjunctivitis, and emaciation were observed in some of the nu/nu mice, but not in the nu/+ mice. Mycoplasmas were isolated from joints and other tissues (including periarticular abscesses and eyelids) of infected nu/nu mice at higher frequencies as well as in greater quantities, and did not show any elimination trends for at least 20 weeks after inoculation. However, nu/+ mice, mycoplasmas were almost exclusively located in joints, and distribution of organisms to the other organs disappeared soon after the infection. Increases in complement-fixing antibody titers were not related to the inhibition of mycoplasmal spread. Thymus-dependent functions that may in some way prevent growth and spread of mycoplasmas in mice are discussed.
D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology; D000818:Animals; D000844:Ankylosis / Q000209:etiology; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude / Q000502:physiology; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections