Pneumonia Due to Mycoplasma in Gnotobiotic Mice I. Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma salivarium, and Mycoplasma pulmonis for the Lungs of Conventional and Gnotobiotic Mice

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Abstract
Two species of mycoplasma of human origin, Mycoplasma pneumonlae and M. salivarium, were tested for their ability to produce respiratory disease in the Ha/ICR mouse when inoculated by the intranasal route. The mouse pathogen M. pulmonis was studied as a positive control. Conventional and gnotobiotic Ha/ICR mice were employed, the latter to provide a system free from indigenous mycoplasma and bacteria. Pneumonia from which mycoplasma were isolated was produced In all groups of the conventional Ha/ICR mice, including those inoculated with sterile broth, Only M. pulmonis produced disease when inoculated intranasally into the gnotobiotic mice, and the gross and microscopic lesions resembled those described in conventional mice. The gnotobiotic mice provided a tool to study the pathogenicity of different mycoplasma species, and indicated marked differences in hostspecificy that could not be clearly seen when conventional mice were used.

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