Characterization of Leptospira infection in suckling and weaning rat pups |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan;2. Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia;3. Department of Neurology, Hasanuddin University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan Km 10, Makassar 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia;3. From the Departments of Molecular Cardiology and;4. Departments of Molecular Genetics, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195;1. Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran;2. Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran;3. Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran;4. Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran;1. Division of Molecular Target and Gene Therapy Products, National Institute of Health Sciences, Tokyo 158-8501, Japan;2. Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan;3. Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan;4. Department of Biochemistry II, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-0065, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Rats are known to be the most important reservoirs of Leptospira spp. However, the leptospiral dose and age at which rats become resistant to Leptospira infection are not yet well elucidated. Aimed to characterize leptospirosis in rat pups, we found that suckling pups (4-, 7-, and 14-day old) are susceptible to leptospires and resistance starts from the weaning age (23-day old). Susceptibility of rat pups was also affected by the infecting dose of the organisms. Jaundice, decrease in body weight, and neurological symptoms prior to moribundity was evident in infected suckling pups. However, 23-day-old infected pups did not manifest any pathological changes and were able to survive the infection similar to adult rats. Based on these results, we propose the suckling rat pup as a novel animal model of human leptospirosis to investigate pathogenesis, development of host resistance, and the mechanisms involved in rats becoming maintenance hosts for leptospires. |
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| Keywords: | Leptospirosis Susceptibility Resistance Maintenance host Animal model |
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