Bacterial Infections in Myd88-Deficient Mice

摘要

ThreebreedingcoloniesofMyd88sup#8211;/#8211;/supmicehadahistoryofsignificantmorbidityandmortality.Althoughstrain-specificpoorreproductiveperformancemightexplainneonataldeathanddystocia,micewerefounddeadorrequiredeuthanasiabecauseofmoribundity,distendedabdomen,headtilt,andseizures.Histopathologyresultsincludedbacteremia,placentitis,metritis,peritonitiswithabscessformation,andsuppurativemeningoencephalitis.Intralesionalgram-negativecoccobacilliwerepresent,ofteninextremelyhighnumber.Culturesofsamplesofthecardiacbloodofamouseandfromwater-bottlesippertubesprovidedtosomeaffectedmicegrewPseudomonasaeruginosa.Inaddition,affectedtissuesfrom2miceandfecesfromathirdtestedPCR-positiveforP.aeruginosa.Althoughthemicehadreceivedautoclavedreverse-osmosis#8211;purifieddrinkingwater,wesuspectthatthemicewereinoculatedwithP.aeruginosathroughcontaminatedsippertubes.BecauseofthedeficiencyinmostoftheToll-likereceptorsignalingpathways,theseMyd88sup#8211;/#8211;/supmicewereunlikelytohavedevelopedcompetitiveinnateandadaptiveimmuneresponses,resultinginbacterialinfections.Theseclinicalcasesunderscoretheimportanceofunderstandinghowgenotype,phenotypeandenvironmentaffectanimalhealth.Soundhusbandryandexperimentalpracticesareneededtopreventtheexposureofimmuno-deficientmicetopathogens.