Susceptibility of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice to Mycobacterium leprae: multiplication of the bacillus and dissemination of the infection at early stage.
Inoculation of M. leprae were made into the both hind feet at a dose of 4.8 x 10(6) bacilli per foot in order to determine the susceptibility to M. leprae of SCID mice which is severely deficient in both T- and B cell immunity. SCID mice was found to have an extremely high susceptibility to M. leprae, and the progress of infection observed in the SCID mice were shown a rapid systemic spread of infection at the all over the tissues as well as the growth of the leprosy bacilli at the site of inoculation. Therefore, SCID mice can be used as a suitable multibacillary model for the study of leprosy.
Yogi
Y
Y
National Institute for Leprosy Research, Tokyo.
Nakamura
K
K
Inoue
T
T
Kawatsu
K
K
Kashiwabara
Y
Y
Sakamoto
Y
Y
Izumi
S
S
Saito
M
M
Hioki
K
K
Nomura
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000254:growth & development*; D016511:Severe Combined Immunodeficiency / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology