Experimental murine mycotic mastitis: a sensitive and lenient model for studies of antifungal chemotherapy

• Published in: FEMS immunology and medical microbiology Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 125 - 130
• Main Authors: Guhad, Faisal A., Jensen, Henrik E., Hau, Jann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.1999; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Alveoli; Amphotericin B; Amphotericin B - administration & dosage; Amphotericin B - therapeutic use; Animal model; Animal models; Animals; Antifungal agents; Antifungal Agents - administration & dosage; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Antifungal chemotherapy; Biological and medical sciences; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - drug effects; Candida albicans - growth & development; Candidiasis; Candidiasis - drug therapy; Candidiasis - microbiology; Chemotherapy; Ducts; Experimental mycoses and models; Female; Fungicides; Hyphae; Immunohistochemistry; Infections; Infectious diseases; Infiltration; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Lactation; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Mammary gland; Mammary glands; Mammary Glands, Animal - microbiology; Mammary Glands, Animal - pathology; Mastitis; Mastitis - drug therapy; Mastitis - microbiology; Mastitis - pathology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Murine candidiasis; Mycoses; Necrosis; Organs; Pseudohyphae; Random Allocation; Murine candidiasis; Antifungal chemotherapy; Animal model; Amphotericin B; Candida albicans; Candidiasis; Mastitis; Yeast; Mycosis; Rodentia; Fungi; Infection; Mammary gland diseases; Vertebrata; Antifungal agent; Chemotherapy; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Treatment; Mouse; Polyenic compound; Fungi Imperfecti; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0928-8244; 1574-695X; 2049-632X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.1999.tb01379.x

Abstract The murine model of mycotic mastitis was used to study the efficacy of amphotericin B (AmB). Twenty-four BALB/cJ mice at the fifth day of lactation were anesthetized and inoculated through the teat canal (two glands) with 50 µl suspension containing 5.0×107 cfu ml−1Candida albicans blastospores. Mice were randomly divided into two groups: untreated controls and AmB treated. Animals were euthanized 3 and 6 days after infection and treatment (4 mg kg−1 per day intraperitoneally). The fungal burden of the mammary gland was determined by quantitative cultures. The number of C. albicans cells recovered from mammary gland homogenates were significantly lower in the AmB treated animals (both 3 and 6 days post-infection) than in the untreated controls (P<0.007 and P<0.003, respectively). The mammary glands of all untreated control animals showed marked neutrophilic infiltration, severe necrosis, and presence of blastospores, hyphae and pseudohyphae. In contrast, 10 of 12 animals treated with AmB showed only a mild neutrophilic infiltration which was restricted to alveoli and excretory ducts. All extra-mammary organs were free of infection in both groups. The results demonstrate that the murine mycotic mastitis model is suitable for investigations of new antifungal compounds. In addition, this model is more lenient than the systemic candidiasis models.