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Published on: March 17, 2014
Experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection of the Mouse Cornea
1College of Optometry, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon 97116.
Abstract:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of human cornea is rare but serious. The work of previous investigators using experimental infection primarily of rabbit cornea resulted in successful therapy for 10 to 50% of clinical cases. The advantage of using the mouse is demonstrated. The methods we adapted for characterizing the untreated experimental infection included: incising the cornea to enable establishing the infection; corneal examination with a steroscopic microscope; grading corneal pathology; qualitative and quantitative monitoring of the infecting bacteria by culturing and staining sectioned and dissected tissues. The characteristics of the tissue pathology, host response, and infection were similar to those reported for other animals and man. Corneal pathology was frequently nearly maximal 1 day after infection; host response involved a progression of events of long duration; pathology persisted well beyond the period of bacterial infection. The infection was essentially noncommunicable, and invasiveness was limited to the tissues of the incised eye. The results show the possibility of tests for invasiveness of clinical isolates and for screening for therapeutic and prophylactic measures.
Insights
This study demonstrates the mouse cornea model for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, showing its utility for testing new therapies against this serious eye infection. The model effectively mimics human infections, aiding in the development of treatments.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infections are rare but severe.
- Previous experimental models, mainly in rabbits, showed limited success in therapeutic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the advantage of using a mouse model for experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infection.
- To characterize the infection, host response, and pathology in the mouse cornea.
- To establish a model for screening therapeutic and prophylactic measures.
Main Methods:
- Corneal incision to establish infection.
- Stereoscopic microscopy for corneal examination and pathology grading.
- Bacterial monitoring via culturing and tissue staining.
- Histopathological analysis of infected tissues.
Main Results:
- Mouse corneal pathology and host response closely resembled human and other animal infections.
- Maximal pathology was observed one day post-infection.
- Pathology persisted long after bacterial clearance; infection was non-communicable and localized.
Conclusions:
- The mouse cornea model is a valuable tool for studying Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis.
- This model facilitates the testing of invasiveness of clinical isolates.
- It enables screening of novel therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for bacterial keratitis.
