Name: transurethral induction of mouse urinary tract infection
Uploaded: 2010-08-05T17:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Transurethral Induction of Mouse Urinary Tract Infection at JoVE.com

The authors would like to acknowledge Shelly Xie and Jennifer Payne for their expert technical assistance. This work was made possible through grants from the Society of Pediatric Urology and the Stanford Pediatric Research Fund.

I. Preparation of Urethral Catheters
<ol>
	<li>For each mouse bladder and kidney to be sampled, place 5-6 stainless steel beads (bladder, 1.6 mm size or 0.9-2.0 mm blend) or zirconium oxide beads (kidney, 0.5 mm size) in one cryovial tube, respectively. Autoclave the bead-containing tubes.</li>
	<li>After the tubes cool to ambient temperature, add 200 microliters of sterile PBS to each stainless steel bead-containing tube and 400 microliters of sterile PBS to each zirconium oxide bead-containing tube.</li>
	<li>We...

<ol>
	<li>Schaeffer, A. J., Schwan, W. R., Hultgren, S. J., Duncan, J. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Relationship+of+type+1+pilus+expression+in+Escherichia+coli+to+ascending+urinary+tract+infections+in+mice.">Relationship of type 1 pilus expression in Escherichia coli to ascending urinary tract infections in mice.</a> Infect Immun. 55, 373-380 (1987).</li><li>Rouschop, K. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Urothelial+CD44+facilitates+Escherichia+coli+infection+of+the+murine+urinary+tract.">Urothelial CD44 facilitates Escherichia coli infection of the murine urinary tract.</a> J Immunol. 177, 7225-7232 (2006).</li><li>Malaviya, R., Ikeda, T., Abraham, S. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Contribution+of+mast+cells+to+bacterial+clearance+and+their+proliferation+during+experimental+cystitis+induced+by+type+1+fimbriated+E.+coli.">Contribution of mast cells to bacterial clearance and their proliferation during experimental cystitis induced by type 1 fimbriated E. coli.</a> Immunol LettM. 91, 103-111 (2004).</li><li>Lane, M. C., Alteri, C. J., Smith, S. N., Mobley, H. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expression+of+flagella+is+coincident+with+uropathogenic+Escherichia+coli+ascension+to+the+upper+urinary+tract.">Expression of flagella is coincident with uropathogenic Escherichia coli ascension to the upper urinary tract.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104, 16669-16674 (2007).</li><li>Hvidberg, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Development+of+a+long-term+ascending+urinary+tract+infection+mouse+model+for+antibiotic+treatment+studies.">Development of a long-term ascending urinary tract infection mouse model for antibiotic treatment studies.</a> Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 44, 156-163 (2000).</li><li>Hopkins, W. J., Hall, J. A., Conway, B. P., Uehling, D. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Induction+of+urinary+tract+infection+by+intraurethral+inoculation+with+Escherichia+coli:+refining+the+murine+model.">Induction of urinary tract infection by intraurethral inoculation with Escherichia coli: refining the murine model.</a> J Infect Dis. 171, 462-465 (1995).</li><li>Hopkins, W. J., Gendron-Fitzpatrick, A., Balish, E., Uehling, D. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Time+course+and+host+responses+to+Escherichia+coli+urinary+tract+infection+in+genetically+distinct+mouse+strains.">Time course and host responses to Escherichia coli urinary tract infection in genetically distinct mouse strains.</a> Infect Immun. 66, 2798-2802 (1998).</li><li>Gunther, N. W. t., Lockatell, V., Johnson, D. E., Mobley, H. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+vivo+dynamics+of+type+1+fimbria+regulation+in+uropathogenic+Escherichia+coli+during+experimental+urinary+tract+infection.">In vivo dynamics of type 1 fimbria regulation in uropathogenic Escherichia coli during experimental urinary tract infection.</a> Infect Immun. 69, 2838-2846 (2001).</li><li>Bishop, B. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cyclic+AMP-regulated+exocytosis+of+Escherichia+coli+from+infected+bladder+epithelial+cells.">Cyclic AMP-regulated exocytosis of Escherichia coli from infected bladder epithelial cells.</a> Nat Med. 13, 625-630 (2007).</li><li>Thumbikat, P., Waltenbaugh, C., Schaeffer, A. J., Klumpp, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Antigen-specific+responses+accelerate+bacterial+clearance+in+the+bladder.">Antigen-specific responses accelerate bacterial clearance in the bladder.</a> J Immunol. 176, 3080-3086 (2006).</li><li>Hagberg, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ascending,+unobstructed+urinary+tract+infection+in+mice+caused+by+pyelonephritogenic+Escherichia+coli+of+human+origin.">Ascending, unobstructed urinary tract infection in mice caused by pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli of human origin.</a> Infect Immun. 40, 273-283 (1983).</li><li>Hopkins, W. J., Hall, J. A., Conway, B. P., Uehling, D. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Induction+of+urinary+tract+infection+by+intraurethral+inoculation+with+Escherichia+coli:+refining+the+murine+model.">Induction of urinary tract infection by intraurethral inoculation with Escherichia coli: refining the murine model.</a> J Infect Dis. 171, 462-465 (1995).</li><li>Hung, C. S., Dodson, K. W., Hultgren, S. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+murine+model+of+urinary+tract+infection.">A murine model of urinary tract infection.</a> Nat Protoc. 4, 1230-1243 (2009).</li></ol>

Induction of mouse urinary tract infection by transurethral inoculation of bacteria is a long-established but technically demanding procedure11. Hung and Hultgren recently published an excellent review of transurethral techniques of mouse urinary tract infection13. In this paper, we attempt to further illustrate the finer points of this experimental approach.

Novices may practice their technique by performing a midline laparotomy to expose the bladder, injecting a dilu...

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Cryovial tubes, 2.0 ml polypropylene (no caps)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>E&amp;K Scientific</td>
<td>640201</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Caps for cryovial tubes, with 'O' ring</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>E&amp;K Scientific</td>
<td>440011-N</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Bullet Blender</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td> Next Advance</td>
<td>BBX24</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Zirconium Oxide Beads (0.5mm)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Next Advance</td>
<td>ZROB05</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Stainless Steel Beads (1.6mm)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Next Advance</td>
<td>SSB16</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Stainless Steel Bead Blend (0.9-2.0mm)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Next Advance</td>
<td>SSB14B</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>CBA/J Mice, 8-12 week old female</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Jackson Laboratories</td>
<td>000656</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Phosphate Buffered Saline (NaCl 137mM, KCl 2.7mM, Na2HPO4 4.3mM, KH2PO4 1.4mM)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>EMD</td>
<td>EM-SX0420-13 (NaCl) EM-PX1405-1 (KCl) EM1.06585.0 (Na2HPO4) EM-5108-1 (KH2PO4)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>LB agar</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>LB broth</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>EMD</td>
<td>1.10285.0500</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Isoflurane (Aerrane)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Baxter</td>
<td>NDC 10019-773-60</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Inoculating loops</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>22-363-601</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Eosin-methylene blue (EMB) agar powder</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Himedia Laboratories</td>
<td>MM022-500G</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>MacConkey agar powder</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Difco</td>
<td>212123</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>LB agar powder</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Difco</td>
<td>244520</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Intramedic non-radiopaque polyethylene tubing, PE10 [inner dimension 0.28 mm (0.011 inch); outer dimension 0.61 mm (0.024 inch)]</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>427401</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>30 gauge needles, 1/2 inch</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>305106</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>1 ml tuberculin Slip-Tip syringe</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>309602</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>3 ml Luer-Lock syringe</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>309585</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

transurethral induction of mouse urinary tract infection

Uropathogenic bacterial strains of interest are grown on agar. Generally, uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and other strains can be grown overnight on Luria-Bertani (LB) agar at 37&deg;C in ambient air. UPEC strains grow as yellowish-white translucent colonies on LB agar. Following confirmation of appropriate colony morphology, single colonies are then picked to be cultured in broth. LB broth can be used for most uropathogenic bacterial strains. Two serial, overnight LB broth cultures can be employed to enhance expression of type I pili, a well-defined virulence factor for uropathogenic bacteria. Broth cultures are diluted to the desired concentration in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Eight to 12 week old female mice are placed under isoflurane anesthesia and transurethrally inoculated with bacteria using polyethylene tubing-covered 30 gauge syringes. Typical inocula, which must be empirically determined for each bacterial/mouse strain combination, are 106 to 108 cfu per mouse in 10 to 50 microliters of PBS. After the desired infection period (one day to several weeks), urine samples and the bladder and both kidneys are harvested. Each organ is minced, placed in PBS, and homogenized in a Blue Bullet homogenizer. Urine and tissue homogenates are serially diluted in PBS and cultured on appropriate agar. The following day, colony forming units are counted.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Transurethral Induction of Mouse Urinary Tract Infection at JoVE.com

Transurethral Induction of Mouse Urinary Tract Infection

This video will demonstrate methods to transurethrally induce mouse urinary tract infections and quantify the extent of resulting infections.

Uropathogenic bacterial strains of interest are grown on agar. Generally, uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and other strains can be grown overnight on ...

transurethral-induction-of-mouse-urinary-tract-infection

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

Preparation of Mouse Pituitary Immunogen for the Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Hypophysitis

Autoimmune hypophysitis is a chronic inflammation of the pituitary gland caused or accompanied by autoimmunity1. It has traditionally been considered a rare disease but reporting has increased markedly in recent years. Hypophysitis, in fact, develops not uncommonly as a "side effect" in cancer patients treated with antibodies that block inhibitory receptors expressed on T lymphocytes, such as CTLA-42 and PD-1 receptors. Autoimmune hypophysitis can be induced experimentally by injecting mice with pituitary proteins mixed with an adjuvant3. In this video article we demonstrate how to extract proteins from mouse pituitary glands and how to prepare them in a form suitable for inducing autoimmune hypophysitis in SJL mice.

Autoimmune hypophysitis can be reproduced in mice by injecting an extract of mouse pituitary proteins.

Autoimmune hypophysitis is a chronic inflammation of the pituitary gland caused or accompanied by autoimmunity1.  It has traditionally been considered a ...

Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Hypophysitis in SJL Mice

Autoimmune hypophysitis can be reproduced experimentally by the injection of pituitary proteins mixed with an adjuvant into susceptible mice1. Mouse models allow us to study how diseases unfold, often providing a good replica of the same processes occurring in humans. For some autoimmune diseases, like type 1A diabetes, there are models (the NOD mouse) that spontaneously develop a disease similar to the human counterpart. For many other autoimmune diseases, however, the model needs to be induced experimentally. A common approach in this regard is to inject the mouse with a dominant antigen derived from the organ being studied. For example, investigators interested in autoimmune thyroiditis inject mice with thyroglobulin2, and those interested in myasthenia gravis inject them with the acetylcholine receptor3. If the autoantigen for a particular autoimmune disease is not known, investigators inject a crude protein extract from the organ targeted by the autoimmune reaction. For autoimmune hypophysitis, the pathogenic autoantigen(s) remain to be identified4, and thus a crude pituitary protein preparation is used. In this video article we demonstrate how to induce experimental autoimmune hypophysitis in SJL mice.

This video shows how to induce autoimmune hypophysitis in SJL mice and how to assess its severity by histopathology.

Autoimmune hypophysitis can be reproduced experimentally by the injection of pituitary proteins mixed with an adjuvant into susceptible mice1. Mouse ...

RNA Isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Colonizing the Murine Gastrointestinal Tract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections result in significant morbidity and mortality in hosts with compromised immune systems, such as patients with leukemia, severe burn wounds, or organ transplants1. In patients at high-risk for developing PA bloodstream infections, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the main reservoir for colonization2, but the mechanisms by which PA transitions from an asymptomatic colonizing microbe to an invasive, and often deadly, pathogen are unclear. Previously, we performed in vivo transcription profiling experiments by recovering PA mRNA from bacterial cells residing in the cecums of colonized mice 3 in order to identify changes in bacterial gene expression during alterations to the host&#x2019;s immune status.
As with any transcription profiling experiment, the rate-limiting step is in the isolation of sufficient amounts of high quality mRNA. Given the abundance of enzymes, debris, food residues, and particulate matter in the GI tract, the challenge of RNA isolation is daunting. Here, we present a method for reliable and reproducible isolation of bacterial RNA recovered from the murine GI tract. This method utilizes a well-established murine model of PA GI colonization and neutropenia-induced dissemination4. Once GI colonization with PA is confirmed, mice are euthanized and cecal contents are recovered and flash frozen. RNA is then extracted using a combination of mechanical disruption, boiling, phenol/chloroform extractions, DNase treatment, and affinity chromatography. Quantity and purity are confirmed by spectrophotometry (Nanodrop Technologies) and bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies) (Fig 1). This method of GI microbial RNA isolation can easily be adapted to other bacteria and fungi as well.

RNA Isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Colonizing the Murine Gastrointestinal Tract

A reliable method for the RNA isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered from murine cecums is described. The RNA recovered is of sufficient quantity and quality for subsequent qPCR, transcription profiling, and RNA Seq experiments. This technique can be adapted for RNA isolation of other intestinal microbes.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections result in significant morbidity and mortality in hosts with compromised immune systems, such as patients with ...

Isolation of Lymphocytes from Mouse Genital Tract Mucosa

Mucosal surfaces, including in the gastrointestinal, urogenital, and respiratory tracts, provide portals of entry for pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria 1. Mucosae are also inductive sites in the host to generate immunity against pathogens, such as the Peyers patches in the intestinal tract and the nasal-associated lymphoreticular tissue in the respiratory tract. This unique feature brings mucosal immunity as a crucial player of the host defense system. Many studies have been focused on gastrointestinal and respiratory mucosal sites. However, there has been little investigation of reproductive mucosal sites. The genital tract mucosa is the primary infection site for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), including bacterial and viral infections. STDs are one of the most critical health challenges facing the world today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 19 million new infectious every year in the United States. STDs cost the U.S. health care system $17 billion every year 2, and cost individuals even more in immediate and life-long health consequences. In order to confront this challenge, a greater understanding of reproductive mucosal immunity is needed and isolating lymphocytes is an essential component of these studies. Here, we present a method to reproducibly isolate lymphocytes from murine female genital tracts for immunological studies that can be modified for adaption to other species. The method described below is based on one mouse.&#x2003;

An efficient way to isolate lymphocytes from mouse genital tract is described. This method takes advantage of enzyme digestion and Percoll gradient separation to allow efficient isolation. This technique is also adaptable to for use in other species

Mucosal surfaces, including in the gastrointestinal, urogenital, and respiratory tracts, provide portals of entry for pathogens, such as viruses and ...

Urinary Tract Infection in a Small Animal Model: Transurethral Catheterization of Male and Female Mice

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are extremely common worldwide, incurring significant morbidity and healthcare-associated expenses. Small animal models, which accurately reflect disease establishment and progression, permit dissection of host-pathogen interactions and generation of immunity to infection. In mice, intravesical instillation of uropathogenic E. coli, the causative agent in more than 85% of community acquired UTI, recapitulates many of the stages of infection observed in humans. Until recently, however, UTI could only be modeled in female animals. This limitation has hindered the study of sex-related differences in UTI, as well as other bladder pathologies, such as cancer. Here, we describe a method to instill male mice that allows direct comparison between female and male animals and provide a detailed protocol to assess bladder tissue by flow cytometry as a means to better understand host responses to infection. Together, these approaches will aid in the identification of host factors that contribute to sex biases observed in UTI and other bladder-associated diseases.

The established model of transurethral catheterization of mice allows the study of bladder pathologies, including urinary tract infection, but can only be performed in females. A new model of male transurethral instillation, presented here, will enable research in an area marked by strong clinical and epidemiological differences between the sexes.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are extremely common worldwide, incurring significant morbidity and healthcare-associated expenses. Small animal models, ...

Transurethral Instillation Procedure in Adult Male Mouse

Transurethral instillation can be used to deliver different solutions with active ingredients (e.g., drugs, chemicals, bacteria, and viruses) locally into the urinary bladder to either induce animal models of bladder pathologies or evaluate the effectiveness of intravesical treatments. Most rodent models of lower urinary tract (LUT) pathologies are induced in female mice due to ease of intravesical instillation of the substances via the female urethra. However, due to anatomical differences between the female and male LUT, transurethral instillation in a male mouse has been deemed a very challenging procedure, and it has not been previously described. In this manuscript, we provide a detailed description of how to prepare polyethylene (PE) tubing for subsequent insertion into the urethra of a male mouse. In addition, we discuss the ideal types of PE tubing to be used depending on the desired site of inoculation. Furthermore, we describe point by point how to prepare an animal for a successful transurethral instillation to avoid injury to the urethra and ensure the delivery of the solution to the desired location. The procedure is started by retracting the prepuce and the glans to expose the opening of the urethral meatus. Next, the glans are grasped by blunt non-crushing forceps to stabilize the penis and the PE tubing. The PE tubing is first inserted into the urethral meatus parallel to the animal body, then its angle is adjusted by tilting the catheter to maneuver it to follow the natural curvature of the urethra. This technique can be used to induced murine models of bladder pathologies and/or evaluate the effectiveness of intravesical treatments in male mice.

Transurethral instillation is a challenging procedure and has not been well described in the literature. The aim of this manuscript is to describe a technique for transurethral insertion of a catheter for intravesical delivery of liquids with active substances into the urinary bladder and/or prostate in adult male mice.

Transurethral instillation can be used to deliver different solutions with active ingredients (e.g., drugs, chemicals, bacteria, and viruses) locally into ...

Mouse Models Of Helicobacter Infection And Gastric Pathologies

Helicobacter pylori is a gastric pathogen that is present in half of the global population and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. Several mouse models of gastric Helicobacter infection have been developed to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms whereby H. pylori bacteria colonize the stomach of human hosts and cause disease. Herein, we describe protocols to: 1) prepare bacterial suspensions for the in vivo infection of mice via intragastric gavage; 2) determine bacterial colonization levels in mouse gastric tissues, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and viable counting; and 3) assess pathological changes, by histology. To establish Helicobacter infection in mice, specific pathogen-free (SPF) animals are first inoculated with suspensions (containing &#8805;105 colony-forming units, CFUs) of mouse-colonizing strains of either Helicobacter pylori or other gastric Helicobacter spp. from animals, such as Helicobacter felis. At the appropriate time-points post-infection, stomachs are excised and dissected sagittally into two equal tissue fragments, each comprising the antrum and body regions. One of these fragments is then used for either viable counting or DNA extraction, while the other is subjected to histological processing. Bacterial colonization and histopathological changes in the stomach may be assessed routinely in gastric tissue sections stained with Warthin-Starry, Giemsa or Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&#38;E) stains, as appropriate. Additional immunological analyses may also be undertaken by immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence on mouse gastric tissue sections. The protocols described below are specifically designed to enable the assessment in mice of gastric pathologies resembling those in human-related H. pylori diseases, including inflammation, gland atrophy and lymphoid follicle formation. The inoculum preparation and intragastric gavage protocols may also be adapted to study the pathogenesis of other enteric human pathogens that colonize mice, such as Salmonella Typhimurium or Citrobacter rodentium.

Mouse Models Of Helicobacter Infection And Gastric Pathologies

Mice represent an invaluable in vivo model to study infection and diseases caused by gastrointestinal microorganisms. Here, we describe the methods used to study bacterial colonization and histopathological changes in mouse models of Helicobacter pylori-related disease.

Helicobacter pylori is a gastric pathogen that is present in half of the global population and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in ...

Isolation of Single Intracellular Bacterial Communities Generated from a Murine Model of Urinary Tract Infection for Downstream Single-cell Analysis

In this article, we outline a procedure used to isolate individual intracellular bacterial communities from a mouse that has been experimentally infected in the urinary tract. The protocol can be broadly divided into three sections: the infection, bladder epithelial cell harvesting, and mouth micropipetting to isolate individual infected epithelial cells. The isolated epithelial cell contains viable bacterial cells and is nearly free of contaminating extracellular bacteria, making it ideal for downstream single-cell analysis. The time taken from the start of infection to obtaining a single intracellular bacterial community is about 8 h. This protocol is inexpensive to deploy and uses widely available materials, and we anticipate that it can also be utilized in other infection models to isolate single infected cells from cell mixtures even if those infected cells are rare. However, due to a potential risk in mouth micropipetting, this procedure is not recommended for highly infectious agents.

This protocol describes a simple method of isolating single, infected-bladder epithelial cells from a murine model of urinary tract infection.

In this article, we outline a procedure used to isolate individual intracellular bacterial communities from a mouse that has been experimentally infected ...

Induction of Mouse Lung Injury by Endotracheal Injection of Bleomycin

Pulmonary fibrosis is a hallmark of several human lung diseases with a different etiology. Since current therapies are rather limited, mouse models continue to be an essential tool for developing new antifibrotic strategies. Here we provide an effective method to investigate in vivo antifibrotic activity of human mesenchymal stromal cells obtained from whole umbilical cord (hUC-MSC) in attenuating bleomycin-induced lung injury. C57BL/6 mice receive a single endotracheal injection of bleomycin (1.5 U/kg body weight) followed by a double infusion of hUC-MSC (2.5 x 105) into the tail vein, 24 h and 7 days after the bleomycin administration. Upon sacrifice at days 8, 14, or 21, inflammatory and fibrotic changes, collagen content, and hUC-MSC presence in explanted lung tissue are analyzed. The injection of bleomycin into the mouse&#160;trachea allows the direct targeting of the lungs, leading to extensive pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. The systemic administration of a double dose of hUC-MSC results in the early blunting of the bleomycin-induced lung injury. Intravenously infused hUC-MSC are transiently engrafted into the mouse lungs, where they exert their anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic activity. In conclusion, this protocol has been successfully applied for the preclinical testing of hUC-MSC in an experimental mouse model of human pulmonary fibrosis. However, this technique can be easily extended both to study the effect of different endotracheally administered substances on the pathophysiology of the lungs and to validate new anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic systemic therapies.

Here we present an effective method to investigate the antifibrotic activity of intravenously infused human mesenchymal stromal cells obtained from the whole umbilical cord following the induction of lung injury by an endotracheal injection of bleomycin in C57BL/6 mice. This protocol can be easily extended to the preclinical testing of other therapeutics.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a hallmark of several human lung diseases with a different etiology. Since current therapies are rather limited, mouse models ...

In Vivo Augmentation of Gut-Homing Regulatory T Cell Induction

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammatory chronic disease in the gastrointestinal tract (GUT). In the United States, there are approximately 1.4 million IBD patients. It is generally accepted that a dysregulated immune response to gut bacteria initiates the disease and disrupts the mucosal epithelial barrier. We recently show that gut-homing regulatory T (Treg) cells are a promising therapy for IBD. Accordingly, this article presents a protocol for in vivo augmentation of gut-homing Treg cell induction. In this protocol, dendritic cells are engineered to produce locally high concentrations of two molecules de novo, active vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D or 1,25[OH]2D) and active vitamin A (retinoic acid or RA). We chose 1,25(OH)2D and RA based on previous findings showing that 1,25(OH)2D can induce the expression of regulatory molecules (e.g., forkhead box P3 and interleukin-10) and that RA can stimulate the expression of gut-homing receptors in T cells. To generate such engineered dendritic cells, we use a lentiviral vector to transduce dendritic cells to overexpress two genes. One gene is the cytochrome P450 family 27 subfamily B member 1 that encodes 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1&#945;-hydroxylase, which physiologically catalyzes the synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D. The other gene is the aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A2 that encodes retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2, which physiologically catalyzes the synthesis of RA. This protocol can be used for future investigation of gut-homing Treg cells in vivo.

Here we present a protocol for in vivo augmentation of gut-homing regulatory T cell induction. In this protocol, dendritic cells are engineered to locally produce high concentrations of the active vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D or 1,25[OH]2D) and the active vitamin A (retinoic acid or RA) de novo.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammatory chronic disease in the gastrointestinal tract (GUT). In the United States, there are approximately 1.4 ...