Infectious microorganisms in mice (<i>Mus musculus</i>) purchased from commercial pet shops in Germany

Dammann, Philip; Hilken, Gero; Hueber, B; Köhl, Wiebke; Bappert, Marie-Therese; Mähler, Michael

doi:10.1258/la.2011.010183

Cited by 26 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Not surprisingly, pet shop mice exhibited major differences regarding the “maturity” of their immune system compared to mice under controlled housing conditions. We cannot exclude that different genetic backgrounds in pet shop mice represent an important factor influencing the differences observed, however, this seems very unlikely considering the fact that pet shop mice are infected by a multitude of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and endoparasites . Differences were demonstrated not only for adaptive immunity patterns with respect to distinct subsets of effector/memory B‐ and T‐cells, but also for signatures of various innate immune cells.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Wild immunology assessed by multidimensional mass cytometry

et al. 2016

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A great part of our knowledge on mammalian immunology has been established in laboratory settings. The use of inbred mouse strains enabled controlled studies of immune cell and molecule functions in defined settings. These studies were usually performed in specific-pathogen free (SPF) environments providing standardized conditions. In contrast, mammalians including humans living in their natural habitat are continuously facing pathogen encounters throughout their life. The influences of environmental conditions on the signatures of the immune system and on experimental outcomes are yet not well defined. Thus, the transferability of results obtained in current experimental systems to the physiological human situation has always been a matter of debate. Studies elucidating the diversity of "wild immunology" imprintings in detail and comparing it with those of "clean" lab mice are sparse. Here, we applied multidimensional mass cytometry to dissect phenotypic and functional differences between distinct groups of laboratory and pet shop mice as a source for "wild mice". For this purpose, we developed a 31-antibody panel for murine leukocyte subsets identification and a 35-antibody panel assessing various cytokines. Established murine leukocyte populations were easily identified and diverse immune signatures indicative of numerous pathogen encounters were classified particularly in pet shop mice and to a lesser extent in quarantine and non-SPF mice as compared to SPF mice. In addition, unsupervised analysis identified distinct clusters that associated strongly with the degree of pathogenic priming, including increased frequencies of activated NK cells and antigenexperienced B-and T-cell subsets. Our study unravels the complexity of immune signatures altered under physiological pathogen challenges and highlights the importance of carefully adapting laboratory settings for immunological studies in mice, including drug and therapy testing. V C 2016 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry Key terms Key terms: wild immunology; mass cytometry; innate immune system; adaptive immune system LABORATORY mice have undoubtedly been a successful tool to unravel the complexity of immunological mechanisms in mammals. Over the years, many genetic mouse strains have been generated in tightly controlled environments to investigate immune functions or interrogate disease mechanisms and immune dysregulations. Recent research revealed that effector functions of the immune system are strongly dependent on environmental factors (1-3). Lab mice are usually born and kept "specific-pathogen free" (SPF), meaning that they are shielded from most common pathogens. These strictly defined settings have enabled breakthroughs in understanding the complex system. In contrast, humans have a complex variety of genetic back-

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Wild immunology assessed by multidimensional mass cytometry

et al. 2016

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“…However, there are only limited data related to parasites of rodents in pet shops (3-6). Dammann et al (6) observed that more than 70% of the mice purchased from pet shops are positive in respect to endoparasites. The most prevalent parasitic infection was reported as Syphacia spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites in Hamsters and Rabbits in Some Pet Shops of Turkey

Sürsal

Gökpınar²,

Yıldız³

2014

urkiyeParazitolDerg

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Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the parasite species carried by hamsters and rabbits purchased from some commercial pet shops in Turkey. Methods: For this purpose, the fecal samples of clinically healthy Syrian hamsters, dwarf hamsters, and crossbred rabbits were collected from 22 pet shops randomly selected in Ankara and Kirikkale provinces, located in Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The fecal samples were examined with centrifuge flotation technique using saturated salt solution. Results: Parasitic infection rate was 57.5% in dwarf hamsters, 54.9% in Syrian hamsters, and 56.3% in crossbreed rabbits. Trichurid eggs were the most prevalent parasite in the feces of Syrians hamsters (28.1%). The other parasites of Syrian hamsters were as follows: Eimeria spp. oocysts (15.4%) and the eggs of H. nana (11.2%), Syphacia spp. (11%). and Aspiculuris spp. (5.6 %). Only trichurid eggs were observed in the fecal samples of dwarf hamsters (51.5%). Oocysts of Eimeria spp. (52.7%) and the eggs of P. ambiguus (3.6%) were detected in the feces of rabbits. Conclusion: Within the scope of this study, the detection of H. nana eggs, a zoonotic parasite, in the feces of Syrian hamster was quite remarkable for public health. (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2014; 38: 102-5) (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2014; 38: 102-5) Anahtar Sözcükler: Parazit, petshop, tavşan, hamster, dışkı muayenesi

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“…16 Two are commonly encountered in mice: Syphacia obvelata and Aspicularis tetraptera. 16 Two are commonly encountered in mice: Syphacia obvelata and Aspicularis tetraptera.…”

Section: Clinical Signs and Treatment By Species Micementioning

confidence: 99%