 resistance have all further complicated the management of patients with such infections, and led to high healthcare costs7, 8
. In addition, it should be emphasized that most recent studies with antibiotic treatment outcomes have been based in clinical settings, and thus might well be influenced by host factors varying from patient-to-patient. Therefore, a relevant animal model of endovascular infection in which host factors are similar from animal-to-animal is more crucial to investigate microbial pathogenesis, as well as the efficacy of novel antimicrobial agents. Endocarditis in rat is a well-established experimental animal model that closely approximates human native valve endocarditis. This model has been used to examine the role of particular staphylococcal virulence factors and the efficacy of antibiotic treatment regimens for staphylococcal endocarditis. In this report, we describe the experimental endocarditis model due to MRSA that could be used to investigate bacterial pathogenesis and response to antibiotic treatment.
Infection, Issue 64, Immunology, Staphylococcus aureus, endocarditis, animal model, methicillin resistance, MRSA, rat
Cannulation of the Mouse Submandibular Salivary Gland via the Wharton's Duct
Institutions: McGill University , National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Severe salivary gland hypofunction is frequently found in patients with Sjögren's syndrome and those who receiving therapeutic
irradiation in their head and neck regions for cancer treatment. Both groups of patients experience symptoms such as xerostomia (dry mouth), dysphagia
(impaired chewing and swallowing), severe dental caries, altered taste, oro-pharyngeal infections (candidiasis), mucositis, pain and discomfort.
One innovative approach of regenerative medicine for the treatment of salivary gland hypo-function is speculated in RS Redman, E Mezey
2009: stem cells can be directly deposited by cannulation into the gland as a potent method in reviving the functions of the impaired organ. Presumably,
the migrated foreign stem cells will differentiate into glandular cells to function as part of the host salivary gland. Also, this cannulation technique is an
expedient and effective delivery method for clinical gene transfer application.
Here we illustrate the steps involved in performing the cannulation procedure on the mouse submandibular salivary gland via the Wharton's duct
). C3H mice (Charles River, Montreal, QC, Canada) are used for this experiment, which have been kept under clean conventional conditions at
the McGill University animal resource center. All experiments have been approved by the University Animal Care Committee and were in accordance with the
guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care.
For this experiment, a trypan blue solution is infused into the gland through the opening of the Wharton's duct using a
insulin syringe with a 29-gauge needle encased inside a polyethylene tube. Subsequently, the mouse is dissected to show that the infusions migrated
into the gland successfully.
Medicine, Issue 51, Mouse, Salivary Gland, Wharton's Duct, dental disease, progenitor, stem cells
Expanding Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes from Umbilical Cord Blood that Target Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr Virus, and Adenovirus
Institutions: Baylor College of Medicine , Baylor College of Medicine , University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine , Baylor College of Medicine .
Virus infections after stem cell transplantation are among the most common causes of death, especially after cord blood (CB) transplantation (CBT) where the CB does not contain appreciable numbers of virus-experienced T cells which can protect the recipient from infection.1-4
We and others have shown that virus-specific CTL generated from seropositive donors and infused to the recipient are safe and protective.5-8
However, until recently, virus-specific T cells could not be generated from cord blood, likely due to the absence of virus-specific memory T cells.
In an effort to better mimic the in vivo
priming conditions of naïve 