title: Host resistance model to an intracellular pathogen.
abstract: This unit describes a model for the determination of host resistance in mice using a Gram-positive intracellular bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes (LM), and discusses its broad use in immunotoxicological studies. The  provides detailed procedures for LM infection and sample analysis, including preparation and infection of mice with LM, recording of sickness behaviors in infected mice, and determination of viable LM numbers in the tissues from infected animals. The protocol also describes use of serum and tissue homogenates for assessment of cytokines. Additionally, background information on LM and LM infection is provided for better understanding and utilization of this model. The LM infection model is useful for the initial screening of possible modulation of immune responses, particularly innate immunity and type-1 cell-mediated immunity (CMI), by environmental factors, as well as for further investigation of the underlying mechanisms of environmental factor-induced changes in immunity.
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal