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A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness

Lenhard, Alexsandra ; Joma, Basma H ; Siwapornchai, Nalat ; Hakansson, Anders P LU orcid ; Leong, John M and Bou Ghanem, Elsa N (2022) In Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE p.1-27
Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an asymptomatic colonizer of the nasopharynx in most individuals but can progress to a pulmonary and systemic pathogen upon influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Advanced age enhances host susceptibility to secondary pneumococcal pneumonia and is associated with worsened disease outcomes. The host factors driving those processes are not well defined, in part due to a lack of animal models that reproduce the transition from asymptomatic colonization to severe clinical disease. This paper describes a novel mouse model that recreates the transition of pneumococci from asymptomatic carriage to disease upon viral infection. In this model, mice are first intranasally inoculated with biofilm-grown... (More)

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an asymptomatic colonizer of the nasopharynx in most individuals but can progress to a pulmonary and systemic pathogen upon influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Advanced age enhances host susceptibility to secondary pneumococcal pneumonia and is associated with worsened disease outcomes. The host factors driving those processes are not well defined, in part due to a lack of animal models that reproduce the transition from asymptomatic colonization to severe clinical disease. This paper describes a novel mouse model that recreates the transition of pneumococci from asymptomatic carriage to disease upon viral infection. In this model, mice are first intranasally inoculated with biofilm-grown pneumococci to establish asymptomatic carriage, followed by IAV infection of both the nasopharynx and lungs. This results in bacterial dissemination to the lungs, pulmonary inflammation, and obvious signs of illness that can progress to lethality. The degree of disease is dependent on the bacterial strain and host factors. Importantly, this model reproduces the susceptibility of aging, because compared to young mice, old mice display more severe clinical illness and succumb to disease more frequently. By separating carriage and disease into distinct steps and providing the opportunity to analyze the genetic variants of both the pathogen and the host, this S. pneumoniae/IAV co-infection model permits the detailed examination of the interactions of an important pathobiont with the host at different phases of disease progression. This model can also serve as an important tool for identifying potential therapeutic targets against secondary pneumococcal pneumonia in susceptible hosts.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Mice, Animals, Streptococcus pneumoniae/genetics, Pneumonia, Pneumococcal, Coinfection/complications, Nasopharynx, Influenza A virus, Orthomyxoviridae Infections, Disease Models, Animal, Pneumococcal Infections/microbiology
in
Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE
issue
187
article number
e64419
pages
1 - 27
publisher
JoVE
external identifiers
  • scopus:85139138703
  • pmid:36279528
ISSN
1940-087X
DOI
10.3791/64419
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5939ef21-7df5-4b2b-ad45-41f42950a1d9
date added to LUP
2022-10-27 16:51:43
date last changed
2024-07-11 22:53:43
@article{5939ef21-7df5-4b2b-ad45-41f42950a1d9,
  abstract     = {{<p>Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is an asymptomatic colonizer of the nasopharynx in most individuals but can progress to a pulmonary and systemic pathogen upon influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Advanced age enhances host susceptibility to secondary pneumococcal pneumonia and is associated with worsened disease outcomes. The host factors driving those processes are not well defined, in part due to a lack of animal models that reproduce the transition from asymptomatic colonization to severe clinical disease. This paper describes a novel mouse model that recreates the transition of pneumococci from asymptomatic carriage to disease upon viral infection. In this model, mice are first intranasally inoculated with biofilm-grown pneumococci to establish asymptomatic carriage, followed by IAV infection of both the nasopharynx and lungs. This results in bacterial dissemination to the lungs, pulmonary inflammation, and obvious signs of illness that can progress to lethality. The degree of disease is dependent on the bacterial strain and host factors. Importantly, this model reproduces the susceptibility of aging, because compared to young mice, old mice display more severe clinical illness and succumb to disease more frequently. By separating carriage and disease into distinct steps and providing the opportunity to analyze the genetic variants of both the pathogen and the host, this S. pneumoniae/IAV co-infection model permits the detailed examination of the interactions of an important pathobiont with the host at different phases of disease progression. This model can also serve as an important tool for identifying potential therapeutic targets against secondary pneumococcal pneumonia in susceptible hosts.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lenhard, Alexsandra and Joma, Basma H and Siwapornchai, Nalat and Hakansson, Anders P and Leong, John M and Bou Ghanem, Elsa N}},
  issn         = {{1940-087X}},
  keywords     = {{Mice; Animals; Streptococcus pneumoniae/genetics; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal; Coinfection/complications; Nasopharynx; Influenza A virus; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; Disease Models, Animal; Pneumococcal Infections/microbiology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{187}},
  pages        = {{1--27}},
  publisher    = {{JoVE}},
  series       = {{Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE}},
  title        = {{A Mouse Model for the Transition of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Colonizer to Pathogen upon Viral Co-Infection Recapitulates Age-Exacerbated Illness}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3791/64419}},
  doi          = {{10.3791/64419}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}