[Animal Modeling Drug Efficacy Evaluation ]- Rat Pneumocystis Pneumonia Model

  1. Modeling material animal: Wistar rats, weighing 120-150g; Medications: cortisone acetate, tetracycline.

  2. Modeling method: Animals are placed in cages and fed with pellet feed. After observing for one week without any abnormalities, subcutaneous injection of cortisone acetate, 25mg/time, twice a week. At the same time, add tetracycline (100mg/100ml) to drinking water to prevent bacterial infections. Medication for 7 weeks can induce Pneumocystis pneumonia in rats.

  3. Modeling principle: Pneumocystis carinii infection causes animal pneumonia.

  4. Changes after modeling: From the 6th week onwards, the modeling animals showed signs of mental fatigue, reduced food intake, dull fur color, loose and patchy shedding of body hair, and rapid breathing. Direct microscopy with phase contrast microscope, Giemsa staining, Gomori methylene silver nitrate stain (GMS stain), and toluidine blue stain (TBO stain) can all detect cysts. Among them, silver staining with hexamethylenetetramine can reveal the characteristic bracket like structure of the cyst wall, which has diagnostic value.

  General morphological examination shows that the lungs are pink in color, with increased volume and harder texture. Patchy or point like gray white lesions can be seen on the surface and section. HE staining shows significant thickening of alveolar septa, obvious congestion of interstitial blood vessels, and infiltration of a large number of lymphocytes and monocytes. However, plasma cells and neutrophils are rare, and this pathological change may be related to the suppression of humoral immune function. There is a small amount of honeycomb like exudate in some alveoli, containing red blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, and shed alveolar epithelial cells. The PAS stained honeycomb exudate appears red.