Yogi Yasuko, Fujimura Takao, Suzuki Koichi
Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-6-7-502 Hirose, Sayama, Saitama 350-1319, Japan.
Nihon Hansenbyo Gakkai Zasshi. 2008 Sep;77(3):197-204. doi: 10.5025/hansen.77.197.
The long search of an animal model for leprosy were carried out as many researchers since the Mycobacterium leprae discovery by Dr. Hansen in 1874. The remarkable results were left after the development of the foot-pad method by Dr. Shepard in 1960. The introduction of the T-R mouse and athymic (nude) mouse for leprosy research, alsospontaneity examples of Hansen's disease was reported to armadillo, chimpanzee and mangabay monkey, and it was confirmed that Hansen's disease was the zoonosis. Although, We have established a congenic hypertensive nude rat, SHR/NCrj-rnu (SHR.F344-Foxn(rnu)), carrying nude (rnu) and hypertension genes. SHR/NCrj-rnu rats obtained showed high susceptibility to M. leprae and showed a characteristic disease with a progressive pattern of leproma formation. Also this hypertensive nude rat strain produce high level of IL-10. Therefore, congenic hypertensive nude rat may be useful for an animal model to leprosy.
自1874年汉森博士发现麻风杆菌以来，许多研究人员一直在长期寻找麻风病动物模型。1960年谢泼德博士开发了足垫法后取得了显著成果。用于麻风病研究的T-R小鼠和无胸腺（裸）小鼠的引入，犰狳、黑猩猩和曼加贝猴也有麻风病自发病例的报道，并且证实麻风病是人畜共患病。尽管如此，我们已经培育出了一种携带裸（rnu）基因和高血压基因的同基因高血压裸大鼠，即SHR/NCrj-rnu（SHR.F344-Foxn(rnu)）。所获得的SHR/NCrj-rnu大鼠对麻风杆菌高度敏感，并表现出一种具有进行性瘤型麻风形成模式的特征性疾病。而且这种高血压裸大鼠品系产生高水平的白细胞介素-10。因此，同基因高血压裸大鼠可能是一种有用的麻风病动物模型。
