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Infection and Immunity, November 2009, p. 4806-4814, Vol. 77, No. 11
0019-9567/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/IAI.00577-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
CD46 Transgenic Mouse Model of Necrotizing Fasciitis Caused by Streptococcus pyogenes Infection
Hidenori Matsui,1,
*
Yukie Sekiya,1,
Masahiko Nakamura,2*
Somay Yamagata Murayama,1
Haruno Yoshida,1
Tetsufumi Takahashi,2
Ken'ichi Imanishi,3
Kanji Tsuchimoto,2
Takehiko Uchiyama,3,4
Keisuke Sunakawa,1 and
Kimiko Ubukata1
Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences and Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan,1 Center for Clinical Pharmacy and Clinical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan,2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan,3 College of Human Science, Tokiwa University, 1-430-1 Miwa, Mito-shi, Ibaraki 310-8585, Japan4
Received 23 May 2009/ Returned for modification 9 July 2009/ Accepted 26 August 2009
We developed a human CD46-expressing transgenic (Tg) mouse model of subcutaneous (s.c.) infection into both hind footpads with clinically isolated 11 group A streptococcus (GAS) serotype M1 strains. When the severity levels of foot lesions at 72 h and the mortality rates by 336 h were compared after s.c. infection with 1 x 107 CFU of each GAS strain, the GAS472 strain, isolated from the blood of a patient suffering from streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), induced the highest severity levels and mortality rates. GAS472 led to a 100% mortality rate in CD46 Tg mice after only 168 h postinfection through the supervention of severe necrotizing fasciitis (NF) of the feet. In contrast, GAS472 led to a 10% mortality rate in non-Tg mice through the supervention of partial necrotizing cutaneous lesions of the feet. The footpad skin sections of CD46 Tg mice showed hemorrhaging and necrotic striated muscle layers in the dermis, along with the exfoliation of epidermis with intracellular edema until 48 h after s.c. infection with GAS472. Thereafter, the bacteria proliferated, reaching a 90-fold or 7-fold increase in the livers of CD46 Tg mice or non-Tg mice, respectively, for 24 h between 48 and 72 h after s.c. infection with GAS472. As a result, the infected CD46 Tg mice appeared to suffer severe liver injuries. These findings suggest that human CD46 enhanced the progression of NF in the feet and the exponential growth of bacteria in deep tissues, leading to death.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences and Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan. Phone and fax for H. Matsui: 81-3-5791-6267. E-mail: hmatsui{at}lisci.kitasato-u.ac.jp. Phone and fax for M. Nakamura: 81-3-3446-9036. E-mail: nakamuram{at}pharm.kitasato-u.ac.jp
Published ahead of print on 8 September 2009.
H.M. and Y.S. contributed equally.
Infection and Immunity, November 2009, p. 4806-4814, Vol. 77, No. 11
0019-9567/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/IAI.00577-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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