Related Experiment Videos
Characterization of a spontaneously occurring arthritis in male DBA/1 mice
C Nordling1, A Karlsson-Parra, L Jansson
1Department of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Objective:
We studied the incidence, severity, histopathologic features, and status of infection in a spontaneous polyarthritis which occurs in male DBA/1 mice.
Methods:
Over a 25-week period, the arthritis was evaluated macroscopically in naive mice of different strains. The histopathology was evaluated at different phases of the disease. Virologic and bacteriologic investigations were performed.
Results:
The arthritis occurs in approximately 80% of aging male DBA/1 mice. The disease is chronic and destructive, and the affected joints are characterized by synovial lining proliferation and infiltration of inflammatory cells, mainly mononuclear. The susceptibility appears to be dependent on both sex-linked and non-sex-linked genes, since female DBA/1 mice are not affected and since male BALB/c housed in the same colony are only marginally affected.
Conclusion:
This first description of a spontaneous arthritis in aging male DBA/1 mice should provide new opportunities to study general features of a chronic and intermittent arthritis in a well-characterized strain, in which no generalized aberrations of the immune system have been described.
Insights
A spontaneous polyarthritis affects 80% of aging male DBA/1 mice, causing chronic joint destruction. This finding offers a new model for studying intermittent arthritis in a well-characterized mouse strain.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
- Genetics
Background:
- Spontaneous polyarthritis is a complex condition.
- Understanding its pathogenesis is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies.
- DBA/1 mice are a common model for autoimmune diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence, severity, histopathologic features, and infection status of spontaneous polyarthritis in male DBA/1 mice.
- To characterize the genetic and sex-linked factors influencing arthritis susceptibility.
- To establish a novel animal model for studying chronic, intermittent arthritis.
Main Methods:
- Macroscopic evaluation of arthritis in naive mice of different strains over 25 weeks.
- Histopathological assessment at various disease phases.
- Virologic and bacteriologic investigations to determine infection status.
Main Results:
- Arthritis incidence reached approximately 80% in aging male DBA/1 mice.
- The disease exhibited chronic and destructive characteristics, with synovial lining proliferation and mononuclear cell infiltration.
- Susceptibility was linked to sex-linked and non-sex-linked genes, as females and BALB/c males showed reduced incidence.
Conclusions:
- This study describes the first spontaneous arthritis in aging male DBA/1 mice.
- This model provides a valuable platform for studying chronic and intermittent arthritis.
- The well-characterized nature of DBA/1 mice, with no described immune system aberrations, enhances its utility for research.