Retrospective Evaluation of Nail Trimming as a Conservative Treatment for Ulcerative Dermatitis in Laboratory Mice.

Ulcerative dermatitis (UD) is an idiopathic disease that affects C57BL/6 mice and those having a B6 background. The hallmark of UD is pruritus, which leads to self-mutilation and epidermal ulceration typically in the intrascapular region. Although several treatments for UD have been published, some involve the use of pharmacologic agents that might confound research results. In this retrospective study, we evaluated nail trimming to determine whether this conservative treatment approach improved the resolution rate of UD at our institution compared with that of untreated mice or those that received oral or topical antibiotics. Our findings show that the incidence of resolution of UD was significantly greater and that the time to resolution was shorter in mice treated with nail trimming compared with other groups. These findings support the use of nail trimming as an effective conservative treatment option for UD in B6 mice.

Pathogenicity of Helicobacter ganmani in mice susceptible and resistant to infection with H. hepaticus.

Helicobacter spp. are some of the most prevalent bacterial contaminants of laboratory mice. Although abundant data regarding the diseases associated with H. hepaticus infection are available, little is known about the pathogenicity of H. ganmani, which was first isolated in 2001 from the intestines of laboratory mice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the host response to H. ganmani colonization in H. hepaticus disease-resistant C57BL/6 and disease-susceptible A/J and IL10-deficient mice. Mice were inoculated with H. ganmani, H. hepaticus, or Brucella broth. Cecal lesion scores, cecal gene expression, and Helicobacter load were measured at 4 and 90 d after inoculation. At both time points, mice inoculated with H. ganmani had similar or significantly more copies of cecum-associated Helicobacter DNA than did mice inoculated with H. hepaticus. When compared with those of sham-inoculated control mice, cecal lesion scores at 4 and 90 d after inoculation were not significantly greater in H. ganmani-inoculated A/J, C57BL/6, or IL10-deficient mice. Analysis of cecal gene expression demonstrated that H. ganmani infection failed to cause significant elevations of IFNγ in A/J, C57BL/6, or IL10-deficient mice. However, in IL10-deficient mice, H. ganmani infection was associated with a significant increase in the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL12/23p40. Although H. ganmani infection in this study failed to induce the typhlitis that is the hallmark of H. hepaticus infection, infection with H. ganmani was associated with alterations in inflammatory cytokines in IL10-deficient mice.

The laboratory animal veterinarian: more than just a mouse doctor.

Use of animals in research is strictly regulated by federal laws that define how the animals can be humanely housed, studied, and sold. Veterinary care for these animals is also required. Laboratory animal veterinarians serve as a unique bridge between the humane use of laboratory animals and the advancement of scientific and medical knowledge.