Experimental murine invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

A new model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) was developed in immunosuppressed mice. Intranasal route of inoculation was used to deliver predictable numbers of Aspergillus flavus conidia. The LD50 was determined to be 2.7 X 10(2) viable conidia, and a combination of quantitative culture and determination of chitin content was shown to best measure the progression of pulmonary disease. The evolution of IPA in these mice conformed with what has been reported in human cases of aspergillosis; both histopathology of the pulmonary lesions and dissemination pattern resembled their human counterparts. The authors hope to use this model to study virulence mechanisms of Aspergillus and novel therapeutic methods.