Preparing Burn Mouse Model Infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a Histopathological Study

Abstract

The infection of burn injuries by Pseudomonas aeruginosa represent a biggest challenges facing doctors. Therefore, treating infected burns area requires finding an animal model that helps standardize the treatment protocols used to treat infected burns, as well as to test appropriate medications. The current study aims to prepare a model of burnt ears as well as those infected with P. aeruginosa. In the present study, the posterior portion of mice back was burned using an iron bar heated with boiling water (100 ^oC). After one hour, the burn area was contaminated with a standard dose of P. aeruginosa (50 µl of 10⁸ c.f.u./ml). The changes that occur in burned skin and bacteria contamination were observed with the neck eye, in addition to collect skin pieces (after 48 h) from infected area and put them in 10 % of formalin for histological examination. The results of the histological examination showed damage to the tissues that were burned and that were exposed to the standard dose of P. aeruginosa, where the destruction of epithelial layer and damage to the dermis layer was observed, in addition to the appearance of edema, as well as the infiltration of leukocytes. As for tissues taken from mice that were subjected to burning (posterior portion) without contamination with bacteria, minor changes were observed and they quickly returned to their normal status. It can be concluded that the method used was effective in preparing a model of burned mice infected with bacteria, and this will help in conducting experiments to standardize the protocol of treatments.