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The Mouse Peritonitis/Sepsis Model

1999; Elsevier BV; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/b978-012775390-4/50153-6

Niels Frimodt‐Møller, Jenny Dahl Knudsen, F. Espersen,

Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing

This chapter describes the mouse peritonitis model, which is used for the study of antimicrobial chemotherapy against bacterial infections. The popularity of the model comes from the ease of its use incorporating small and cheap animals, which are easy to keep and handle, short-duration experiments with reproducible infections, and simple end-points (death or survival). It has therefore evolved as an important early screening method to study in-vivo effects of antibacterial compounds. Specialized strains of mice can be used in this model to study particular facets of the bacterium-host relationship. Mice of any age can be used, but usually those aged 3–4 weeks upwards (20–30 g) are preferred. The unanesthetized mice are inoculated by transcutaneous intraperitoneal injection. When blood or intraperitoneal contents are sampled in living animals by surgical procedures, the animals must be anesthetized and some degree of anatomical and surgical expertise is required. The materials required for this model include anesthetic, skin disinfectant, syringes (1 or 5 ml) and needles (26 g), scalpel handle plus blades, forceps, scissors, flat-plated material, pins or tape, and pipettes (up to 2 ml). The animals usually need short-duration anesthesia of only 10 minutes and the easiest and most rapid methods are small chambers with ether or CO2. Intraperitoneal injection is performed in either of the lateral lower quadrants of the abdomen in order to avoid damaging such organs as the liver or the spleen, which are both relatively large in mice. After inoculation, the mice should be kept in their cages under daily observation for development of signs of infection or death. Infected mice will become quiet, with less movement, and the fur will become rough and appear less shining than usual. Shaking of the animal may ensue, and respiration may appear more restrained or superficial.