TY - JOUR

T1 - Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in normal and athymic rats

AU - Johansen, H K

AU - Espersen, F

AU - Pedersen, S S

AU - Hougen, H P

AU - Rygaard, J

AU - Høiby, N

PY - 1993

Y1 - 1993

N2 - We have compared a chronic lung infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa embedded in alginate beads in normal and athymic rats with an acute infection with free live P. aeruginosa bacteria. The following parameters were observed and described: mortality, macroscopic and microscopic pathologic changes, and antibody responses. The rats challenged with P. aeruginosa alginate beads experienced a generally more severe lung pathology and the antibody responses were more homogeneous with less dispersion as compared to the rats having free live P. aeruginosa bacteria. In general, manifestations were more severe in the athymic rats compared to the normal rats. It is, however, notable that the athymic rats developed similar microscopic lung manifestations as the normal rats when given a large number of P. aeruginosa in the beads, with dense accumulation of neutrophil granulocytes and microcolonies comparable to the lesions seen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Early transitory IgM titers were demonstrated in both normal and athymic rats. Whilst athymic rats produced much lower IgG titers than the normal rats, presumably due to the absence of CD4+ cells, higher primary IgA titers were achieved. These two models in normal and athymic rats of the chronic lung infection resembling that seen in CF lungs make it possible to study the influence of the various components of the specific and nonspecific defense systems on the course of the chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection and to evaluate the effect of various immunization schedules and immunomodulatory drugs.

AB - We have compared a chronic lung infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa embedded in alginate beads in normal and athymic rats with an acute infection with free live P. aeruginosa bacteria. The following parameters were observed and described: mortality, macroscopic and microscopic pathologic changes, and antibody responses. The rats challenged with P. aeruginosa alginate beads experienced a generally more severe lung pathology and the antibody responses were more homogeneous with less dispersion as compared to the rats having free live P. aeruginosa bacteria. In general, manifestations were more severe in the athymic rats compared to the normal rats. It is, however, notable that the athymic rats developed similar microscopic lung manifestations as the normal rats when given a large number of P. aeruginosa in the beads, with dense accumulation of neutrophil granulocytes and microcolonies comparable to the lesions seen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Early transitory IgM titers were demonstrated in both normal and athymic rats. Whilst athymic rats produced much lower IgG titers than the normal rats, presumably due to the absence of CD4+ cells, higher primary IgA titers were achieved. These two models in normal and athymic rats of the chronic lung infection resembling that seen in CF lungs make it possible to study the influence of the various components of the specific and nonspecific defense systems on the course of the chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection and to evaluate the effect of various immunization schedules and immunomodulatory drugs.

KW - Acute Disease

KW - Alginates

KW - Animals

KW - Antibodies, Bacterial

KW - B-Lymphocytes

KW - Chronic Disease

KW - Disease Models, Animal

KW - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

KW - Female

KW - Immunoglobulin A

KW - Immunoglobulin G

KW - Immunoglobulin M

KW - Lung

KW - Lung Diseases

KW - Microspheres

KW - Pseudomonas Infections

KW - Pseudomonas aeruginosa

KW - Rats

KW - Rats, Nude

KW - T-Lymphocytes

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 8507458

VL - 101

SP - 207

EP - 225

JO - A P M I S. Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica

JF - A P M I S. Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica

SN - 0903-4641

IS - 3

ER -