A MURINE MODEL FOR THE STUDY OF MYCOTIC MASTITIS

This study established a murine model for tile study of mycotic mastit is. The mammary glands of BALB/c mice were inoculated on the fifth day of lactation with graded doses (10(4), 10(5) and 10(6) cells) of a pa thogenic strain of Candida krusei isolated from bovine mastitis. The a nimals were killed 1, 2, 3, dr or 5 days after inoculation. In the inf ected mammary glands, the pathological reaction consisted of primary i nfiltration with heterophils and mononuclear cells, focal necrosis, fo rmation of microabscesses, epithelial hyperplasia and some fibrosis. T he severity of the changes was dose-dependent and increased with time after infection. An increase in the plasma concentrations of complemen t factors C1, C3c, C4 and C5, factor B and alpha-2-macroglobulin sugge sted that an acute phase response and activation of the complement sys tem had occurred as a result of the infection. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited