title: The hamster model of chronic Mycobacterium avium complex infection.
abstract: Male golden Syrian hamsters were evaluated as a model for the pathogenesis of human infection with Mycobacterium avium complex. Intratracheal inoculation produced a chronic, nonfatal, pulmonary and disseminated infection (overall rate, 86%). The frequency of infection in hamsters that received 5 x 10(8) versus 1 x 10(8) colony forming units (cfu) was not significantly different (87% and 92%, respectively), but 1 x 10(7) cfu produced infection in only 78% of inoculated animals (P = .034). The percentage of animals developing pulmonary infection with M. avium complex did not differ between inoculum groups (77%-80%). Disseminated infection occurred significantly less frequently in the 1 x 10(7) group (46%) compared with the 5 x 10(8) (79%) and 1 x 10(8) (68%) groups (P = .001 and .056, respectively). After seven weeks, partial clearance of M. avium complex from the lungs coincided with an increased number of animals with splenic involvement. The hamster may be a useful model for human infection with M. avium complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa 33612.
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Yangco
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lackman-Smith
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Deresinski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000382:microbiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D008647:Mesocricetus; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D010196:Pancreatic Elastase