18th International Mouse Genome Conference
17-22 October 2004, Seattle, USA
Plenary Presentations * Oral
Presentations * Poster
Abstracts * Photos
Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture * Table
of Contents * Attendees * Awards
POSTER 93 - DEVELOPMENT OF PATHOLOGY IN A/J, C57BL/6 AND BALB/C MICE FOLLOWING TRYPANOSOMA CONGOLENSE INFECTION
Mburu D 1, Naessens J 1, Noyes H 2, Kemp S 2, Gibson J 3, Iraqi F 1
1 International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya, 2 University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 3 University of New England, Armidale, Australia
Different inbred mouse strains show significant differences in innate resistance to Trypanosoma congolense infection. A/J mice are highly susceptible and C57BL/6 mice are relatively resistant, while BALB/C mice are intermediate. We investigated the development of pathology during the acute phase of trypanosome infection in these three strains. A total of 240 mice of A/J, C57BL/6 and BALB/C were challenged with 104 blood stream form of T. congolense IL-1180 parasite. At day 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 13 and 17 post-infection the body weight, skin temperature and parasitaemia, were recorded. At each collection point 30 mice were sacrificed and the spleen, liver and kidney were examined and weighed. On day 3 and 13 there was a significant drop in the skin temperature in all the strains. This drop corresponds to the first parasitaemia and the peak of infection, respectively. On day 3 the associated gross pathology showed a marginally enlarged spleen (140%) but no changes were observed on the liver and kidney. On day 13 the spleen increased twelve fold while the liver and kidney increased two fold. In spite of the phenotypic differences in their response to T. congolense infection the gross pathology was consistent across the three strains. From day 5 onwards the lymph nodes were enlarged and petechial haemorrhages were observed in some mice. There was no significant change in body weight and the observed parasitaemia re-affirmed that A/J are highly susceptible. Tissues have been collected for histological studies to investigate the architectural changes.