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Updated: Mar 9, 2026
A Mouse Model for Pathogen-induced Chronic Inflammation at Local and Systemic Sites
Published on: August 8, 2014
A mouse model of chronic bacterial lesions (a cotton trap) for studying oral bacteria - lymphocyte interactions
Petra Hudler1, Marija Gubina2, Nataša Ihan Hren3
1Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
Insights
This study reveals that anaerobic bacteria and nocardiae trigger stronger cytotoxic and Th1 immune responses than oral streptococci in a mouse infection model. These findings offer insights into bacterial interactions with the immune system.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Periapical processes are often caused by bacterial infections.
- Understanding immune cell interactions with common causative bacteria is crucial for developing targeted therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immune response elicited by different bacterial strains commonly found in periapical infections using a novel mouse model.
- To compare the efficacy of anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides sp.), nocardiae, and oral streptococci in inducing specific immune responses.
Main Methods:
- Establishment of a mouse model for chronic bacterial infection using cotton traps.
- Analysis of intracellular cytokines in activated T cells via flow cytometry.
- Infection of cotton traps with distinct bacterial strains and subcutaneous implantation in mice.
Main Results:
- Anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides sp.) and nocardiae induced a more potent cytotoxic immunity and Th1 response compared to oral streptococci.
- Observed differences suggest a role for both non-specific immune stimulation (e.g., bacterial cell wall components) and specific antigen-dependent mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial species differ significantly in their capacity to modulate host immune responses.
- The findings highlight the importance of bacterial strain type in shaping the immune outcome of chronic infections like those in periapical processes.
Abstract:
We established a mouse model of chronic bacterial infection (cotton trap) to get a deeper insight into interactions between immune cells and bacterial strains, that are most commonly isolated from periapical processes. We have used flow cytometry to identify the presence of intracellular cytokines of activated T cells collected from cotton traps, previously infected with different strains of bacteria and implanted subcutaneously into the back of the mice. We provide an evidence that anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides sp.) and nocardiae are more effective in inducing cytotoxic immunity and Th1 response compared to oral streptococci. Differences in immune response against anaerobic bacteria when compared to streptococci are probably dependent on some non-specific immune cell stimulation (e.g. by bacterial cell wall components), nevertheless the role of specific antigen-dependent immune mechanism can not be excluded.
