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Vibrio cholerae infection and immunity in mice
Abstract:
Lyophilized cultures of V. cholerae 569B slowly lose their virulence for neonatal and adult mice during long term storage. Following a single passage in orally infected 6-day old mice, a highly virulent strain (designated 569B/MP) was isolated. This organism causes rapidly fatal intestinal infections in 6-day old mice; large numbers can be isolated in pure culture from the intestinal fluid. Freezing and storage at -60 degrees of dead animal provides a simple means of maintaining the high virulence of the culture over a period of at least 9 months. This strain produces choleracic symptoms and death in approx. 50% of adult mice following oral infection. Large numbers of viable organisms may also be isolated from the small intestine over a period of at least 40 h. These criteria have been used as a basis for assessing protection against cholera infection induced by immunization with living or heat-killed V. cholerae given orally or intraperitoneally.
Insights
A highly virulent Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) strain, 569B/MP, was developed for cholera research. Storing this strain at -60°C maintains its virulence for at least 9 months, aiding vaccine efficacy studies.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Immunology
Background:
- Lyophilized Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) cultures lose virulence during storage.
- Maintaining V. cholerae virulence is crucial for accurate challenge models in cholera research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize a highly virulent V. cholerae strain for use in challenge studies.
- To establish a reliable method for preserving V. cholerae virulence for extended periods.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of a hypervirulent V. cholerae strain (569B/MP) through passage in mice.
- Storage of the virulent strain at -60°C to assess long-term viability and virulence.
- Evaluation of the strain's pathogenicity in neonatal and adult mice.
Main Results:
- The 569B/MP strain caused rapidly fatal intestinal infections in 6-day-old mice.
- Storage at -60°C maintained the strain's high virulence for at least 9 months.
- The strain induced choleraic symptoms and mortality in 50% of adult mice upon oral challenge.
Conclusions:
- The 569B/MP strain is a valuable tool for cholera research, offering consistent virulence.
- Cryopreservation at -60°C effectively preserves V. cholerae virulence for long-term use.
- This model facilitates the assessment of cholera vaccine efficacy.