Establishment of a C57BL/6N mouse model of giardiasis.
OBJECTIVE
To establish a C57BL/6N mouse model infected with Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia) isolates from human origin.


METHODS
Two groups of C57BL/6N mouse were inoculated with purified cysts of two G. lamblia isolates (CD and XZ) by gavage separately. Patterns and curves of cyst excretion of the infected mice were observed and summarized. Histopathological changes of the small intestines of the infected mice were observed.


RESULTS
Thirty-six mice receiving 1 x 10(4) cysts each were all infected. The C57BL/6N mouse showed high susceptibility to G. lamblia infection. There was no notable distinction between the two groups of the mice infected by the cysts of CD and XZ isolates. Cyst excretion occurred with intermittence. Of 36 infected mice, 32 (89%) passed cysts intermittently and 4 (11%) others persistently. The latent period of cyst excretion was 0 - 3 days p.i. (post-inoculation). The interruption of cyst excretion ranged from 12 to 20 days p.i. The fastigium of the cyst excretion was on day 6 p.i. The peak count of the cysts passed during a 2 h collection period was 2.3 x 10(7)/g fecal specimen. Edema, inflammation, cell infiltration, small blood vessels congestion, mitotic figures and mucosa necrosis appeared in sections of intestines.


CONCLUSIONS
C57Bl/6N mouse is a suitable animal model of G. lamblia.
Lu
Siqi
S
Department of Cell Biology, The Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100054, China. Lusiqi@cpums.edu.cn
Luo
Xiaobing
X
Chen
Xiaoning
X
Wang
Fengyun
F
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL