title: Biochemical responses and oxidative stress in Francisella tularensis infection: a European brown hare model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to investigate biochemical and oxidative stress responses to experimental F. tularensis infection in European brown hares, an important source of human tularemia infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  For these purposes we compared the development of an array of biochemical parameters measured in blood plasma using standard procedures of dry chemistry as well as electrochemical devices following a subcutaneous infection with a wild Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica strain (a single dose of 2.6 × 10⁹ CFU pro toto).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subcutaneous inoculation of a single dose with 2.6 × 10⁹ colony forming units of a wild F. tularensis strain pro toto resulted in the death of two out of five hares. Plasma chemistry profiles were examined on days 2 to 35 post-infection. When compared to controls, the total protein, urea, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were increased, while albumin, glucose and amylase were decreased. Both uric and ascorbic acids and glutathione dropped on day 2 and then increased significantly on days 6 to 12 and 6 to 14 post-inoculation, respectively. There was a two-fold increase in lipid peroxidation on days 4 to 8 post-inoculation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to all expectations, the present study demonstrates that the European brown hare shows relatively low susceptibility to tularemia. Therefore, the circumstances of tularemia in hares under natural conditions should be further studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bandouchova
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pohanka
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vlckova
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Damkova
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peckova
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sedlackova
authors.forename: Frantisek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Treml
authors.forename: Frantisek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitula
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pikula
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005604:Francisella tularensis; D034621:Hares; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013997:Time Factors; D014406:Tularemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances