title: Head-out spirometry accurately monitors the course of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Classic infection models in rodents use lethal doses of bacteria as inocula, thus creating models which are rarely comparable to the clinical situation. Moreover, single time-point evaluation requires killing of the animals, necessitating large numbers of animals. Longitudinal parameters such as temperature appear to have a relatively low accuracy. Spirometry might be an accurate method to assess the course of a bacterial lung infection without the necessity to sacrifice the animals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We measured lung function in C57BL/6JZtm mice following intratracheal infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and compared it to physiological parameters and lung histology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Head-out spirometry measuring 14 parameters was performed on C57BL6/J mice for eight days following a P. aeruginosa lung infection. Additionally rectal temperature, body weight and condition were assessed together with histological data and bacteriological clearance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Several spirometric parameters were significantly altered for more than 72 h after inoculation, which was four times longer than observed alterations in physiological parameters such as temperature. Volume (amount of air inspired) decreased more than seven-fold within 6 h after inoculation and required 72 h to recover, rendering it the most sensitive spirometric parameter investigated. Spirometric and histological data correlated well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that non-invasive head-out spirometry is a reliable and highly sensitive method to longitudinally assess the course of bacterial lung infections.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. woelbeling.florian @ mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wölbeling
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munder
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stanke
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tümmler
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baumann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D013147:Spirometry