Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Modeling Stroke in Mice - Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion with the Filament Model
Published on: January 6, 2011
Mouse strains differ in their susceptibility to poststroke infections
Olaf Schulte-Herbrüggen1, Juliane Klehmet, David Quarcoo
1Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Objective:
Severe infections, in particular pneumonia, have a major impact on the clinical management and outcome of stroke patients. In a mouse model we have recently demonstrated that stroke induces immunodepression which can result in life-threatening infections. Here, we investigated whether the susceptibility to infections after stroke is strain dependent.
Methods And Results:
Mice from 129SV, C57/B6, and Balb/C strains were subjected to experimental stroke by filament occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) for 60 min. Infarct volumes were measured 3 days after MCAO. Microbiological assessment was based on cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung tissue and blood of animals obtained 3 days after stroke. Three days after stroke 129SV mice did not only develop bacterial chest infection, but also had a strongly increased susceptibility to bacteremia. In contrast, C57BL/6 and Balb/C mice acquired bacterial lung infections only. In addition, bacterial load in BAL was significantly higher in 129SV mice than in the other mice strains. These differences in susceptibility to infection did not correlate with infarct volumes.
Conclusions:
Stroke-associated pneumonia developed in three commonly used mouse strains while severity of infections differed between strains. Since infections affect outcome, monitoring of infections is highly relevant for the interpretation of results in experimental stroke research.
Insights
Stroke increases infection risk in mice, with 129SV strains showing higher susceptibility to severe bacterial infections like pneumonia and bacteremia compared to other strains. This highlights strain-dependent differences in post-stroke immune response.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Severe infections, particularly pneumonia, significantly impact stroke patient outcomes.
- Previous research demonstrated that stroke induces immunodepression, leading to life-threatening infections in a mouse model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the susceptibility to infections following a stroke is dependent on the mouse strain.
- To compare infection severity across different mouse strains after experimental stroke.
Main Methods:
- Experimental stroke was induced using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in 129SV, C57/B6, and Balb/C mice.
- Infarct volumes were measured, and microbiological assessments of bronchoalveolar lavage, lung tissue, and blood were performed 3 days post-stroke.
Main Results:
- 129SV mice developed bacterial chest infections and increased susceptibility to bacteremia post-stroke.
- C57BL/6 and Balb/C mice acquired only bacterial lung infections.
- Bacterial load in bronchoalveolar lavage was significantly higher in 129SV mice; differences in infection susceptibility did not correlate with infarct volumes.
Conclusions:
- Stroke-associated pneumonia occurred in all three mouse strains, but infection severity varied.
- Monitoring infections is crucial for interpreting results in experimental stroke research due to their impact on outcomes.
