First attempt to produce experimental Campylobacter concisus infection in mice.
OBJECTIVE
To infect mice with atypical Campylobacter concisus (C. concisus) for the first time.


METHODS
Three separate experiments were conducted in order to screen the ability of five clinical C. concisus isolates of intestinal origin and the ATCC 33237 type strain of oral origin to colonize and produce infection in immunocompetent BALB/cA mice. The majority of the BALB/cA mice were treated with cyclophosphamide prior to C. concisus inoculation to suppress immune functions. Inoculation of C. concisus was performed by the gastric route.


RESULTS
C. concisus was isolated from the liver, ileum and jejunum of cyclophosphamide-treated mice in the first experiment. No C. concisus strains were isolated in the two subsequent experiments. Mice infected with C. concisus showed a significant loss of body weight from day two through to day five of infection but this decreased at the end of the first week. Histopathological examination did not consistently find signs of inflammation in the gut, but occasionally microabscesses were found in the liver of infected animals.


CONCLUSIONS
Transient colonization with C. concisus was observed in mice with loss of body weight. Future studies should concentrate on the first few days after inoculation and in other strains of mice.
Aabenhus
Rune
R
Department of Clinical Microbiology, National University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark.
Stenram
Unne
U
Andersen
Leif Percival
LP
Permin
Henrik
H
Ljungh
Asa
A
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007082:Ileum / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007583:Jejunum / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014640:Vancomycin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide