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CHARACTERIZATION OF AEROMONAS VIRULENCE USING AN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED MOUSE MODEL
Citation:
LYE, D. J., M. R. RODGERS, G. N. STELMA, S. J. VESPER, AND S. L. HAYES. CHARACTERIZATION OF AEROMONAS VIRULENCE USING AN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED MOUSE MODEL. CURRENT MICROBIOLOGY. Springer, New York, NY, 54(3):195-198, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
Use animal studies to validate molecular-based assays concerning the virulence of microorganisms. Identify pathogenic strains of bacterial species known to include opportunistic pathogens and identify currently unknown opportunistic pathogens among the heterotrophic bacteria that occur in drinking water or biofilms.
Description:
An immunocompromised mouse model was used to characterize Aeromonas strains for their ability to cause opportunistic, extraintestinal infections. A total of 34 isolates of Aeromonas (A. hydrophila [n = 12]), A. veronii biotype sobria [n = 7], A. caviae [n = 4], A. enchelia [n = 4], A. allosaccharophila [n = 2], A. salmonicida (n = 4), and A. bestiarum [n = 1]) were introduced by intraperitoneal injection into immunocompetent or chemically compromised (using cyclophosphamide) mice. The ability of each isolate to persist in the liver and spleen tissue was monitored at 24 hours after exposure.Amajority of A. hydrophila and A veronii v. sobria strains, but none of the isolates of other Aeromonas species, were capable of persistent colonization (<300 cells/mg spleen and liver tissue at 24 hours). The presence or absence of several putative virulence factors (cytotoxicity to HEp-2, lipase activity, elastase activity, and hemolysis) were determined for each isolate using in vitro tests. There were no correlations between the presence or absence of biochemical test results for putative virulence factors and persistence of the isolate in spleen and liver tissue at 24 hours.