Development of a Rat Lung Infection Model Using Intratracheal Bacterial Inoculation

Begin with an anesthetized rat placed on a rodent intubation stand. The rat’s front teeth are secured to the holder to stabilize the head.

Displace the tongue laterally and use a laryngoscope to visualize the tracheal opening.

Insert a catheter fitted with a blunted needle into the trachea. Then carefully remove the laryngoscope and needle.

Attach a filter-based breathing indicator. The movement of the filter confirms the catheter placement in the trachea.

Remove the indicator and deliver a pathogenic bacterial inoculum into the trachea.

Deliver air to distribute the bacteria into the lungs.

Remove the catheter and allow the rat to recover.

In the lungs, alveolar macrophages engulf the bacteria into phagosomes.

The bacteria disrupt the phagosomal membrane and escape into the cytoplasm.

They replicate, triggering the release of host signaling molecules and leading to inflammation.

This establishes a rat lung infection model for studying host–pathogen interactions.

After preparing F.tularensis inoculum and anesthetizing a rat according to the text protocol, place the rat dorsally on the rodent intubation stand.

Then attach the front teeth of the rat to the holder to keep the rat in place. With t