A mouse model for acute otitis media

• To induce acute otitis media in the mouse and to describe the clinical and bacteriological course of the infection, middle ears of BALB/c, Swiss-Webster and C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Systemic and local changes were monitored by clinical observations, otomicroscopy, and analysis of bacterial samples from blood and middle ears. Agglutination of mouse erythrocytes by M. catarrhalis was also tested. Depending on bacterial strain, bacterial dose, and mouse strain three responses were identified: acute otitis media, otitis media with serous effusion, or no reaction. BALB/c mice were the most susceptible animals. On day 3, 76% of the BALB/c mice had developed middle ear infection, 50% had a positive middle ear culture, 56% were bacteremic, and 10% had succumbed to a disseminated infection. The local infections lasted approximately a week. Animals which survived recovered without permanent deterioration or otomicroscopically discernible changes. In no case did M. catarrhalis induce a culture-positive middle ear infection, possibly due to an inability to agglutinate the mouse erythrocytes. The mouse model can become a useful tool in studies of pneumococcal and H. influenzae-induced otitis media, but the bacterial dose has to be carefully titrated and adjusted to the chosen mouse strain.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Acute Disease

Animals

Comparative Study

Disease Models; Animal

Haemophilus Infections/etiology

Haemophilus influenzae/pathogenicity

Hemagglutination

In Vitro

Mice

Mice; Inbred BALB C

Mice; Inbred C57BL

Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis/pathogenicity

Otitis Media/*etiology

Pneumococcal Infections/etiology

Research Support; Non-U.S. Gov't

Research Support; U.S. Gov't; P.H.S.

Species Specificity

Streptococcus pneumoniae/pathogenicity

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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