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Updated: Feb 7, 2026
Intranasal Immunization and Milk Collection in Studies of Maternal Immunization in New Zealand White Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus
Published on: July 31, 2021
Establishment of a New Zealand White Rabbit Model for Lethal Toxin (LT) Challenge and Efficacy of Monoclonal Antibody
Duanyang Zhang1, Weicen Liu2, Zhonghua Wen3
1Laboratory of Vaccine and Antibody Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Street, Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, China. DevinZhang0415@163.com.
Abstract:
Anthrax caused by Bacillus anthracis is a lethal infectious disease, especially when inhaled, and the mortality rate approaches 100% without treatment. The anthrax antitoxin monoclonal antibody (MAb) 5E11 is a humanized antibody that targets the anthrax protective antigen (PA). The efficacy of 5E11 needs proper animal models. However, anthrax spores are extremely dangerous, so experiments must be conducted under Biosafety Level 3 conditions. Considering the critical effects of lethal toxin (LT) on hosts during infection, we report the establishment of a LT-challenged rabbit model, which caused 100% mortality with a dose of 2 mg PA + 1 mg LF, while a 4 mg PA + 2 mg LF challenge could limit death to within three days. Then, we evaluated 5E11 efficacy against LT. A prophylactic study showed that the i.v. administration of 40 mg/kg 5E11 four days before lethal dose LT challenge could lead to 100% survival. In therapeutic studies, the i.v. administration of 40 mg/kg 5E11 10 min after lethal dose LT challenge could provide complete protection. Overall, we developed a new LT-challenged rabbit model, and our results indicate that 5E11 shows potential for the clinical application in anthrax treatment.
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