Susceptibility of various animals to Pneumocystis carinii infection.
Pneumocystis carinii (Pc) is an important opportunistic pathogen of immune compromised hosts, and is known to infect various animals. The present study observed the infection status of 6 mammals and 3 strains of albino rats with Pc after suppression of their immunity. Methyl-prednisolone was injected once a week and tetracycline was supplied with water for 5 to 21 weeks. Hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats and pigs were negative by impression smear, and only the rats were found infected by Pc. All of the three strains of rats, Sprague-Dawley(SD), Wistar(W) and Fisher(F), were infected by Pc but W rats showed heavier degree of infection in earlier period than F or SD rats. The present findings suggest that W rat is the best among the animals used in the present study for production of Pc.
Hong
S T
ST
Department of Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
Park
K H
KH
Lee
S H
SH
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D006224:Cricetinae; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004285:Dogs; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008775:Methylprednisolone; D011010:Pneumocystis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016720:Pneumocystis Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013552:Swine
D008775:Methylprednisolone