Fatal acute intestinal pseudoobstruction in mice.

Here we describe the epizootiology and pathology of spontaneous, fatal acute intestinal pseudoobstruction that occurred in a mouse colony of 1000 breeding pairs, mainly of the C57Bl/6 strain and free from known pathogenic agents. Most of the mice affected were dams in the second week of lactation. At necropsy, segments of the small intestines were distended with fluid contents.

Diabetes and myocarditis in voles and lemmings at cyclic peak densities--induced by Ljungan virus?

Although it is well-documented from theoretical studies that pathogens have the capacity to generate cycles, the occurrence and role of pathogens and disease have been poorly empirically studied in cyclic voles and lemmings. In screening for the occurrence of disease in cyclic vole and lemming populations, we found that a high proportion of live-trapped Clethrionomys glareolus, C. rufocanus, Microtus agrestis and Lemmus lemmus at high collective peak density, shortly before the decline, suffered from diabetes or myocarditis in northern Scandinavia.

Occurrence of Helicobacter species other than H. hepaticus in laboratory mice and rats in Sweden.

The aim of this study was to determine which Helicobacter species other than H. hepaticus colonize laboratory mice and rats in Sweden. We analyzed 63 intestinal samples from mice and 42 intestinal samples from rats by partial 16S rDNA sequence analysis.

Development and use of a simple polymerase chain reaction assay to screen for Helicobacter spp. and H. hepaticus in intestinal and fecal samples from laboratory mice.

A simple and sensitive duplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed for use in detection of Helicobacter species and H. hepaticus in laboratory mice. Bacteria were extracted and concentrated from fecal pellets and intestinal segments by use of buoyant density centrifugation.