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Group A streptococcal antigen exposed rat model to investigate neurobehavioral and cardiac complications associated with post-streptococcal autoimmune sequelae2.14 MB
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Journal article
Group A streptococcal antigen exposed rat model to investigate neurobehavioral and cardiac complications associated with post-streptococcal autoimmune sequelae
Animal Models and Experimental Medicine, Vol.4(2), pp.151-161
2021
Abstract
Background:
The neuropsychiatric disorders due to post-streptococcal autoimmune complications such as Sydenham's chorea (SC) are associated with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (ARF/RHD). An animal model that exhibits characteristics of both cardiac and neurobehavioral defects in ARF/RHD would be an important adjunct for future studies. Since age, gender, strain differences, and genotypes impact on the development of autoimmunity, we investigated the behavior of male and female Wistar and Lewis rat strains in two age cohorts (<6 weeks and >12 weeks) under normal husbandry conditions and following exposure to group A streptococcus (GAS).
Methods:
Standard behavioral assessments were performed to determine the impairments in fine motor control (food manipulation test), gait and balance (beam walking test), and obsessive-compulsive behavior (grooming and marble burying tests). Furthermore, electrocardiography, histology, and behavioral assessments were performed on male and female Lewis rats injected with GAS antigens.
Results:
For control Lewis rats there were no significant age and gender dependent differences in marble burying, food manipulation, beam walking and grooming behaviors. In contrast significant age-dependent differences were observed in Wistar rats in all the behavioral tests except for food manipulation. Therefore, Lewis rats were selected for further experiments to determine the effect of GAS. After exposure to GAS, Lewis rats demonstrated neurobehavioral abnormalities and cardiac pathology akin to SC and ARF/RHD, respectively.
Conclusion:
We have characterised a new model that provides longitudinal stability of age-dependent behavior, to simultaneously investigate both neurobehavioral and cardiac abnormalities associated with post-streptococcal complications.
Details
- Title
- Group A streptococcal antigen exposed rat model to investigate neurobehavioral and cardiac complications associated with post-streptococcal autoimmune sequelae
- Authors
- Rukshan A Rafeek (Author) - University of New EnglandCatherine M Lobbe (Author) - University of New EnglandEthan C Wilkinson (Author) - University of New EnglandAdam S Hamlin (Author) - University of New EnglandNicholas M Andronicos (Author) - University of New EnglandDavid McMillan (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringKadaba Srinivasa Sriprakash (Author) - University of New EnglandNatkunam Ketheesan (Corresponding Author) - University of New England
- Publication details
- Animal Models and Experimental Medicine, Vol.4(2), pp.151-161
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Date published
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.1002/ame2.12164
- ISSN
- 2576-2095; 2096-5451
- Copyright note
- © 2021 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99523408402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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