Kirchhoff H, Kuwabara T, Barile M F
Infect Immun. 1981 Jan;31(1):445-52. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.1.445-452.1981.
The intracerebral inoculation of newborn Syrian hamsters with pure cultures of Spiroplasma sp. strain SMCA caused severe, prolonged disease involving the central nervous system, culminating in death. The disease was characterized by spasms, muscular tremors, disturbances in motor control, inability to feed, dramatic loss of weight, and runting. The effect ws dose related, with the largest numbers of viable spiroplasmas producing the highest incidence of disease and death in the shortest period of time. Severe hemorrhaging developed throughout the brain, liver, and spleen, and spiroplasmas were readily recovered from these organs, indicating that the agent disseminated from the initial site of infection to distant host tissues. Newborn animals were susceptible, but adults were resistant; these findings are similar to those reported for newborn mice and rats. Unlike mice and rats, hamsters did not develop cataracts visible to the unaided eye. The histopathological features of eye disease in hamsters were different from those in rats and were characterized by microophthalmia (especially in runted hamsters) and abnormal proliferation, disorientation, and disorganization of corneal, lens, and retinal tissues. The significance of these findings is discussed.
用SMCA株螺原体纯培养物对新生叙利亚仓鼠进行脑内接种，引发了严重且持续时间长的涉及中枢神经系统的疾病，最终导致死亡。该疾病的特征为痉挛、肌肉震颤、运动控制障碍、无法进食、体重急剧下降和发育不良。其影响与剂量相关，存活螺原体数量最多时，在最短时间内导致疾病和死亡的发生率最高。整个脑、肝和脾出现严重出血，且这些器官中很容易分离出螺原体，这表明病原体从初始感染部位扩散到远处的宿主组织。新生动物易感，但成年动物具有抗性；这些发现与报道的新生小鼠和大鼠的情况相似。与小鼠和大鼠不同，仓鼠未出现肉眼可见的白内障。仓鼠眼部疾病的组织病理学特征与大鼠不同，其特点是小眼症（尤其是发育不良的仓鼠）以及角膜、晶状体和视网膜组织的异常增殖、定向障碍和结构紊乱。讨论了这些发现的意义。
