PMID- 8312383
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19940322
LR  - 20031114
IS  - 0939-8600 (Print)
IS  - 0939-8600 (Linking)
VI  - 36
IP  - 1
DP  - 1993 Oct
TI  - History and pathology of an enzootic Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in athymic 
      Han:RNU and Han:NZNU rats.
PG  - 1-11
AB  - A report is given on the history and pathology of an enzootic outbreak of 
      spontaneous Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) that occurred in a colony of 
      male and female athymic Han:RNU rnu/rnu and Han:NZNU rnuN/rnuN rats maintained in 
      a longevity study from weaning up to their natural death. The rats were obtained 
      from specified pathogen free (SPF) breeding colonies and were kept in a barrier 
      type animal quarter with standardized housing conditions. Groups of heterozygous, 
      euthymic littermates in the same room remained unaffected. First cases of PCP 
      were observed simultaneously in both stocks and both sexes when the rats were 15 
      to 18 months old. During the following 18 months, most of the animals developed 
      pneumonia. Shortly prior to death the animals showed dyspnea and cachexia. Gross 
      examination revealed focal or diffuse pulmonary consolidation. Histologically, 
      characteristic lung lesions consisted of an interstitial pneumonia with 
      perivascular and peribronchiolar infiltrations and with clusters of foamy 
      macrophages within single or groups of alveoli. Most prominent in moderate and 
      severe infections was an amorphous, honey-combed eosinophilic material within 
      enlarged alveolar spaces. The diagnosis was based on the histological 
      identification of Pneumocystis carinii (Pc) cysts in lung sections stained with 
      Grocott's methenamine silver and was confirmed immunohistochemically. The 
      evaluation of all evidence leads to the conclusion that Pc was introduced into 
      the experimental colony by care-takers. The high incidence of PCP and its 
      resemblance to human PCP indicate the suitability of athymic Han:RNU and Han:NZNU 
      rats as natural models for this disease.
FAU - Deerberg, F
AU  - Deerberg F
AD  - Central Institute for Laboratory Animal Breeding, Hannover, Germany.
FAU - Pohlmeyer, G
AU  - Pohlmeyer G
FAU - Wullenweber, M
AU  - Wullenweber M
FAU - Hedrich, H J
AU  - Hedrich HJ
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Germany
TA  - J Exp Anim Sci
JT  - Journal of experimental animal science
JID - 9103426
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Disease Outbreaks/*veterinary
MH  - Female
MH  - Lung/pathology
MH  - Male
MH  - Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/epidemiology/pathology/*veterinary
MH  - Rats
MH  - *Rats, Nude
MH  - Rodent Diseases/epidemiology/*pathology
MH  - Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
EDAT- 1993/10/01 00:00
MHDA- 1993/10/01 00:01
CRDT- 1993/10/01 00:00
PHST- 1993/10/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1993/10/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1993/10/01 00:00 [entrez]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Exp Anim Sci. 1993 Oct;36(1):1-11.