title: Cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus infection of obese mice.
abstract: Cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus was identified in respiratory tract lesions of obese mice dying of chronic respiratory disease. Neither Mycoplasma pulmonis nor pathogenic bacteria were isolated from cultures of the lesions at necropsy, but there was serologic and histologic evidence of respiratory virus infection. Cranial-ventral areas of lung were firm and demarcated from unaffected lung at gross examination, and representative tissue sank in water. Microscopically, there was suppurative bronchopneumonia with extensive peribronchiole lymphocyte and plasma cell proliferation. The affected bronchiole epithelium was covered with a sheet of slightly basophilic, filamentous, gram negative bacteria. Bronchioles with lesser amounts of lymphocyte accumulations contained lesser amounts of filamentous bacteria. Bronchioles without filamentous bacteria lining the respiratory epithelium lacked peribronchiole lymphocyte accumulations. There was a high correlation between CAR bacillus-positive serology and the identification of diagnostic histologic lesions. CAR bacillus was readily stained using immunohistochemical methods, and the ultrastructural features were similar to that described in rat infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Danneman
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001996:Bronchopneumonia / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002923:Cilia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000956:Antigens, Viral