Optimization and characterization of a murine lung infection model for the evaluation of novel therapeutics against Burkholderia cenocepacia

•A reproducible B. cenocepacia lung infection was observed in immunosuppressed BALB/c mice•Approximately 50 to 60% of the infected mice demonstrated a dissemination to liver and spleen•Tobramycin treatment of B. cenocepacia infected mice resulted in a two log reduction in lung burden•Tobramycin treatment prevented the dissemination to liver and spleen and reduces levels of proinflammatory cytokines•This optimized and validated mouse model can be used as a tool for the evaluation of new antibacterial therapies

Several B. cenocepacia mouse models are available to study the pulmonary infection by this Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) species. However, a characterized B. cenocepacia mouse model to evaluate the efficacy of potential new antibacterial therapies is not yet described. Therefore, we optimized and validated the course of infection (i.e. bacterial proliferation in lung, liver and spleen) and the efficacy of a reference antibiotic, tobramycin (TOB), in a mouse lung infection model. Furthermore, the local immune response and histological changes in lung tissue were studied during infection and treatment. A reproducible lung infection was observed when immunosuppressed BALB/c mice were infected with B. cenocepacia LMG 16656. Approximately 50 to 60% of mice infected with this BCC species demonstrated a dissemination to liver and spleen. TOB treatment resulted in a two log reduction in lung burden, prevented dissemination of B. cenocepacia to liver and spleen and significantly reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines. As this mouse model is characterized by a reproducible course of infection and efficacy of TOB, it can be used as a tool for the in vivo evaluation of new antibacterial therapies.