Related Experiment Videos
Mouse strains differ in their susceptibility to poststroke infections.
Olaf Schulte-Herbrüggen1, Juliane Klehmet, David Quarcoo
1Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Neuroimmunomodulation
|April 14, 2006
Summary
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.