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. 1978 Aug;21(2):412–416. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.2.412-416.1978

Increased susceptibility of splenectomized mice to infection after exposure to an aerosolized suspension of type III Streptococcus pneumoniae.

J A Coil, J D Dickerman, E Boulton
PMCID: PMC422011  PMID: 29008

Abstract

Most reported experimental studies concerning the effect of splenectomy in animals have shown enhanced mortality from pneumococci injected either intravenously or intraperitoneally. We have developed a laboratory model in which mice are exposed to type III Streptococcus pneumoniae via an aerosolized atmosphere, thus closely approximating the route of human infection with this organism. Ninety-one male Swiss mice (mean weight 26 g) were divided into three approximately equal groups of control, sham-operated, and splenectomized animals. Two weeks later they were exposed for 30 min in individualized compartments within a confined chamber to an aerosolized atmosphere producing a uniform challenge of 5.9 X 10(9) colony-forming units per ml of pneumococci. A statistically significant increase (P less than 0.01) in mortality was demonstrated in the splenectomized group over the pooled sham-operated and control groups. The animal model used in these investigations can be applied to the study of infections acquired by the respiratory route in numerous experimental designs.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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