Visualization of Urinary Tract Infection in a Mouse Model Using Bioluminescence

Abstract

Source: Luyts, N., et al. Longitudinal Follow-Up of Urinary Tract Infections and Their Treatment in Mice using Bioluminescence Imaging. J. Vis. Exp. (2021).

This video demonstrates the induction and tracking of urinary tract infection in a mouse model using bioluminescent E. coli injected into the bladder, where bacterial adhesion, invasion, and intracellular replication occur. The emitted light from the bioluminescent operon serves as a real-time marker of bacterial load during infection progression.

Protocol

All procedures involving animal models have been reviewed by the local institutional animal care committee and the JoVE veterinary review board.

1. Inoculation of the animals

1. Preparation of the animals
   1. Choose the desired mouse strain(s) depending on the research question and availability of knock-out lines, experimental details, and differences in UTI susceptibility. Keep in mind that transurethral catheterization is easier in female mice. Do not use animals younger than 8 weeks, as they are immunologically immature. Here, 12-week-old female C57Bl/6J mice were used.
   2. Order animals well in advance and let them....

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Anesthesia vaporizer	Harvard apparatus limited	N/A	https://www.harvardapparatus.com/harvard-apparatus-anesthetic-vaporizers.html
Baytril 100 mg/mL	Bayer	N/A	Enrofloxacin
BD Insyte Autoguard 24 GA	BD	382912	Yellow angiocatheter, use sterile plastic tip for instillation
C57Bl/6J mice	Janvier	N/A
Centrifuge 5804R	Eppendorf	EP022628146
Dropsense 16	Unchained Labs	Trinean	to measure OD 600nm
Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Saline, Gibco	ThermoFisher Scientific	REF 14040-083
Ethanol 70% denaturated 5L	VWR international	85825360
Falcon 14ml Round Bottom Polystyrene Tube, Snap-Cap	Corning	352057
Falcon 50ml cellstart	Greiner	227285
Hamilton GASTIGHT syringe, PTFE luer lock, 100 µL	Sigma-Aldrich	26203	to ensure slow bacterial instillation of 50 µL
Inoculation loop	Roth	6174.1	holder: Art. No. 6189.1
Iso-Vet 1000mg/g	Dechra Veterinary products	N/A	Isoflurane
IVIS Spectrum In Vivo Imaging System	PerkinElmer	REF 124262	imaging device