Mechanisms of Salmonella pathogenesis in animal models

Alexander D. Palmer, James M. Slauch

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Animal models play an important role in understanding the mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. Here we review the recent studies of Salmonella infection in various animal models. Although mice are a classic animal model for Salmonella, mice do not normally get diarrhea, raising the question of how well the model represents normal human infection. However, pre-treatment of mice with oral streptomycin, which apparently reduces the normal microbiota, leads to an inflammatory diarrheal response upon oral infection with Salmonella. This has led to a re-evaluation of the role of various Salmonella virulence factors in colonization of the intestine and induction of diarrhea. Indeed, it is now clear that Salmonella purposefully induces inflammation, which leads to the production of both carbon sources and terminal electron acceptors by the host that allow Salmonella to outgrow the normal intestinal microbiota. Overall use of this modified mouse model provides a more nuanced understanding of Salmonella intestinal infection in the context of the microbiota with implications for the ability to predict human risk.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1877-1892
Number of pages16
JournalHuman and Ecological Risk Assessment
Volume23
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 17 2017

Keywords

  • altered Schaedler flora
  • antibiotic-induced dysbiosis
  • inflammation
  • microbiota
  • virulence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecological Modeling
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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