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Analysis of the pathological lesions of the lung in a mouse model of cutaneous infection with Streptococcus pyogenes
Author(s) -
Minami Masaaki,
Sobue Sayaka,
Ichihara Masatoshi,
Hasegawa Tadao
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.2011.02756.x
Subject(s) - streptococcus pyogenes , lung , pathology , pathological , pathogenesis , toxic shock syndrome , reticular connective tissue , medicine , biology , bacteria , staphylococcus aureus , genetics
Invasive diseases such as toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes ( S. pyogenes ) are re‐emerging infectious diseases. The mechanism of pathogenesis is not completely understood although the virulence of this organism has been analyzed using animal model systems, particularly using mice. The analysis of the progression of infection, however, is difficult. Computed tomography (CT) scanning is an extremely powerful technique that we applied to the mouse model of cutaneous infection with S. pyogenes . Two or three days after subcutaneous administration of bacteria, high density reticular areas were detected in the lung by CT. Histopathological examination of the lung was performed to examine the results of CT. Increased numbers of cytokeratin‐positive epithelial cells, probably alveolar type II epithelial cells, were detected but no remarkable increase of inflammatory cell infiltrates was observed. Our results show that the pathological lesions of the lung in this model, wherein relatively few numbers of neutrophils were in the alveoli, are well correlated with the lung of a part of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome patients. Therefore, CT may be useful in assessing the progression of S. pyogenes infection, particularly in the pathological lesions of the lung in this model.