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Animal pneumocystosis: a model for man

N Ceré1, B Polack

  • 1Laboratoire de pathologie du lapin, Institut national de la recherche agronomique, Nouzilly, France. cere@tours.inra.fr

Veterinary Research
|March 19, 1999
PubMed

Insights

The rabbit model offers a valuable tool for studying Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in immunocompetent animals. This model aids in understanding PCP pathogenesis, immune responses, and parasite transmission dynamics.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Comparative Pathology

Background:

  • Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is a significant cause of illness and death, particularly in AIDS patients.
  • PCP also affects individuals undergoing immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplantation and those with hematologic malignancies.
  • Current in vitro culture limitations necessitate reliable in vivo models for studying PCP.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the rabbit as a suitable animal model for Pneumocystis carinii infection.
  • To investigate the utility of the rabbit model for studying PCP pathogenesis, immunology, and epidemiology.
  • To explore pulmonary surfactant modifications during P. carinii infection in rabbits.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized rabbits as a susceptible host for P. carinii infection, noting their lack of need for glucocorticoid treatment.
  • Compared rabbit-derived Pneumocystis strains to those from mice and rats based on antigenic and genomic data.
  • Observed rapid P. carinii transmission via contact between infected and Pneumocystis-free rabbits.

Main Results:

  • The rabbit model demonstrated susceptibility to P. carinii infection without immunosuppression.
  • Rabbit-derived Pneumocystis strains showed closer genetic and antigenic similarity to human strains compared to rodent strains.
  • The model facilitated the study of pulmonary surfactant alterations due to P. carinii infection.
  • Rapid transmission of P. carinii was observed in a contact-transmission model.

Conclusions:

  • The rabbit model is a valuable tool for studying PCP pathogenesis and immune responses in immunocompetent hosts.
  • This model is suitable for comparative medicine, epidemiology, and immunological research related to PCP.
  • Pneumocystis-free rabbits can be used to investigate parasite transmission, sources, and reservoirs.

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