[Experimental Trichophyton rubrum infection in animals]

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Veterinary Dermatology

Context:

• Dermatomycosis, a fungal infection of the skin, hair, and nails, is commonly caused by anthropophilic dermatophytes.
• Trichophyton rubrum is a prevalent dermatophyte responsible for a significant number of human superficial fungal infections.
• Establishing reliable animal models is crucial for understanding dermatophyte pathogenesis and evaluating treatment strategies.

Purpose:

• To induce experimental infection with Trichophyton rubrum in guinea pigs and rabbits.
• To confirm the induced infection using clinical, mycological, and histopathological methods.
• To assess the utility of guinea pigs and domestic rabbits as models for T. rubrum infection.

Summary:

• An inoculum of Trichophyton rubrum (2.0 x 10^6/ml) was applied to scarified skin areas on guinea pigs and rabbits.
• Clinical signs of infection appeared within 6-9 days post-inoculation, with T. rubrum successfully re-isolated from infected sites.
• Histopathological examination revealed characteristic PAS-positive septate hyphae in the stratum corneum and hair follicles, accompanied by inflammatory infiltrates in the dermis.

Impact:

• This study validates guinea pigs and domestic rabbits as suitable animal models for experimental Trichophyton rubrum infections.
• The findings support the use of these animal models for future research into dermatophytosis, including drug efficacy studies.
• The methodology provides a reproducible approach for inducing and confirming experimental dermatophyte infections in laboratory animals.