Protection in mice passively immunized with serum from cynomolgus macaques and humans vaccinated with recombinant plague vaccine (rF1V).

Passive transfer models were developed to evaluate the ability of antibodies generated in cynomolgus macaques and humans vaccinated with a recombinant plague vaccine (rF1V) to protect naïve Swiss Webster mice against pneumonic plague. Development of the passive transfer model is intended to support clinical and nonclinical development of the rF1V vaccine. To evaluate protection, unfractionated serum collected from rF1V vaccinated cynomolgus macaques and human volunteers with known antibody titers to rF1, rV and rF1V was transferred into naïve Swiss Webster mice via the intraperitoneal route.

Experimental infection of cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) with aerosolized monkeypox virus.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection in humans results in clinical symptoms very similar to ordinary smallpox. Aerosol is a route of secondary transmission for monkeypox, and a primary route of smallpox transmission in humans. Therefore, an animal model for aerosol exposure to MPXV is needed to test medical countermeasures.

Pathogenesis of aerosolized Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus infection in guinea pigs.

Mice and guinea pigs were experimentally exposed to aerosols containing regionally-distinct strains (NJ1959 or ArgM) of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) at two exclusive particle size distributions. Mice were more susceptible to either strain of aerosolized EEEV than were guinea pigs; however, clinical signs indicating encephalitis were more readily observed in the guinea pigs. Lower lethality was observed in both species when EEEV was presented at the larger aerosol distribution (> 6 mum), although the differences in the median lethal dose (LD50) were not significant.

Determination of antibiotic efficacy against Bacillus anthracis in a mouse aerosol challenge model.

An anthrax spore aerosol infection mouse model was developed as a first test of in vivo efficacy of antibiotics identified as active against Bacillus anthracis. Whole-body, 50% lethal dose (LD50) aerosol challenge doses in a range of 1.9x10(3) to 3.

The automated bioaerosol exposure system: preclinical platform development and a respiratory dosimetry application with nonhuman primates.

Introduction: Well-characterized inhalation exposure systems are critical for preclinical testing and pathogenesis studies. The automated bioaerosol exposure system (ABES) provides a microprocessor-driven inhalation platform that provides exquisite data acquisition and control over all aspects of inhalation exposures. Because this represents a new technology, the development and characteristics of the ABES are thoroughly discussed.

Impact of inhalation exposure modality and particle size on the respiratory deposition of ricin in BALB/c mice.

Ricin is a toxic lectin derived from the seed of Ricinus communis (castor plant). It is lethal in small quantities when disseminated as an aerosol. We determined the impact of using two types of exposure chambers and different particle sizes on the deposition of ricin aerosols in mice.