title: Development of a Streptococcus pneumoniae keratitis model in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common cause of bacterial keratitis, and models to examine the ocular pathogenesis of this bacterium would aid in efforts to treat pneumococcal keratitis. The aim of this study was to establish a murine model of pneumococcal keratitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The corneas of A/J, BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were scratched and topically infected with a clinical strain of S. pneumoniae. Slitlamp examination (SLE), enumeration of bacteria in the corneas and histology were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacteria were recovered from the eyes of A/J mice on postinfection (PI) days 1 [1.96 +/- 0.61 log(10) colony-forming units (CFU)] and 3 (1.41 +/- 0.71 log(10) CFU). SLE scores were significantly higher in the infected A/J mice as compared to the BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice on PI day 3 (p < 0.0001) and steadily increased over time, reaching a maximal value of 3.00 +/- 0.35 on PI day 10. Histopathology revealed stromal edema and the influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes on PI days 7 and 10, and corneal disruption on PI day 7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  S. pneumoniae keratitis was established in A/J mice, but not BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Miss. 39216, USA.
authors.forename: Quincy C
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Clare C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: Erin W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Norcross
authors.forename: Chinwendu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Onwubiko
authors.forename: Melissa E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fratkin
authors.forename: Larry S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: McDaniel
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Marquart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007634:Keratitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*