PROGRESSIVE AND FATAL INFECTION WITH ATTENUATED MYCOBACTERIUM-BOVIS (BCG) IN NUDE-MICE

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 48  (6) , 533-543
Abstract
Congenitally athymic nude mice (nu/nu) were infected [i.v.] with M. bovis 8CG Japanese strain under specified pathogen-free (SPF) on germ-free (GF) conditions. SPF euthymic litter mates (nu/+) serving as controls tolerated the infection well, while SPF nu/nu mice following infection of 3 .times. 107 organisms died by wk 36. Animals having received a very small dose (3 .times. 100) of organisms and their non-infected cage mates showed no evidence of infection at wk 37 post-infection. Time-course observations carried out on SPF and GF nu/nu mice following infection with 105 or 106 organisms revealed that the number of organisms in the liver and spleen reached 106-107 viable units per organ at wk 12 and this level was maintained for 50 wk post-infection. Bacillary counts in the kidney and lung increased progressively and reached a level of 107-108 at the terminal stage of infection. In the liver, spleen and lymph nodes of nu/nu mice, granulomas were noted 12 wk post-infection. The granulomas were composed of macrophages and accompanied by slight infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells and a small number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. In later infection stages, small aggregations of pigmented macrophages packed with acid-fast bacilli were present in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Lesions with large foci of bacilli-laden macrophages developed progressively in the kidney, lung and s.c. and periosteal connective tissues. Periosteal granulomatous lesions, sometimes accompanied by exudation, intruded occasionally into the bone marrow, resulting in extensive granulomatous osteomyelities.

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