title: Contaminated water delivery as a simple and effective method of experimental Salmonella infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In most infectious disease models, it is assumed that gavage needle infection is the most reliable means of pathogen delivery to the GI tract. However, this methodology can cause esophageal tearing and induces stress in experimental animals, both of which have the potential to impact early infection and the subsequent immune response.
  
  
  METHODS
  C57BL/6 mice were orally infected with virulent Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 either by intragastric gavage preceded by sodium bicarbonate, or by contamination of drinking water.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrate that water contamination delivery of Salmonella is equivalent to gavage inoculation in providing a consistent model of infection. Furthermore, exposure of mice to contaminated drinking water for as little as 4 h allowed maximal mucosal and systemic infection, suggesting an abbreviated window exists for natural intestinal entry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these data question the need for gavage delivery for infection with oral pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.|Yersinia Research Unit, Microbiology Department, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Hope
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Oanh H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Benoun
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Marietta M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ravesloot-Chávez
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Cell Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McSorley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000254:growth & development*; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014876:Water Pollution
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water
keywords: Salmonella; alternative infection technique; experimental stress; gavage; intragastric; natural route; oral infection; water contamination