Effects of altering the germination potential of Bacillus anthracis spores by exogenous means in a mouse model.
Inhalational anthrax is the most severe form of anthrax. It has been shown in small-animal and non-human primate models that relatively large pools of ungerminated Bacillus anthracis spores can remain within the alveolar spaces for days to weeks post-inhalation or until transported to areas more favourable for germination and bacillary outgrowth. In this study, spores of the Ames strain that were exposed to germination-inducing media prior to intranasal delivery were significantly less infectious than spores delivered in either water or germination-inhibitory medium. The effect of manipulating the germination potential of these spores within the lungs of infected mice by exogenous germination-altering media was examined. The data suggested that neither inducing germination nor inhibiting germination of spores within the lungs protected mice from the ensuing infection. Germination-altering strategies could, instead, significantly increase the severity of disease in a mouse model of inhalational anthrax when implemented in vivo. It was shown that germination-altering strategies, in this study, were not beneficial to the infected host and are impractical as in vivo countermeasures.
Cote
C K
CK
Bacteriology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA.
Bozue
J
J
Bacteriology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA.
Twenhafel
N
N
Pathology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA.
Welkos
S L
SL
Bacteriology Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, USA.
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence
D003470:Culture Media