Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in a mouse model.
To investigate the pathogenesis of acute Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, BALB/c mice were anesthetized with metofane, and M. pneumoniae was introduced intranasally on days 0, 1, and 2. Mice were sacrificed on days 0-15. A histopathologic scoring system defined inflammatory changes in the lungs on a scale of 0-26 (least to most severe). Broth cultures were positive for all nasal passage and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens. Histopathologic scores ranged from 0 to 21. The mean log10 (cfu/mL) were 4.1-6.4 on days 1-10 and >/=1.7 on days 13-15 for nasal passage and BAL specimens. Serum polymerase chain reaction was negative. ELISA for serum IgM and immunoblots for M. pneumoniae antibody were positive in 21 (62%) of 34 and 33 (97%) of 34 infected animals, respectively, at days 8-15. ELISA for IgG antibody was negative. This mouse pneumonia model can be used to study the immunologic and therapeutic responses to acute M. pneumoniae infection.
Wubbel
L
L
Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Texas, Dallas, USA.
Jafri
H S
HS
Olsen
K
K
Shelton
S
S
Barton Rogers
B
B
Gambill
G
G
Patel
P
P
Keyser
E
E
Cassell
G
G
McCracken
G H
GH
D000818:Animals; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction