Experimental Infection with Trichophyton rubrum in Animals

Overview

The objective of the work was to induce experimental infection with the anthropophil dermatophyteTrichophyton rubrum in animals and to confirm it by clinical, mycological and histopathologicalexamination.For preparation of the inoculum the authors used a T. rubrum culture isolated from patientssuffering from dermatomycosis. The inoculum was cultivated under conditions of intensive aeration(shaking). Its density was 2.0 . 10 6 /ml of germinative spores and hyphal fragments. On the animal’sback shoved and irritated by scarification (area 4 cm 2 ) 2 ml inoculum were rubbed in.Experimental mycotic infection was induced in one of four guinea pigs and one of two domesticrabbits. The first clinical manifestations of mycotic infection were found on the 6 th and 9 th day afterinoculation. From the focus T. rubrum was cultivated. From the unaffected hair in the close vicinityand at more remote sites numerous contaminants were isolated, other fungi as well as dermatophy-tes. In the histopathological material the authors found in the shed layers of the stratum corneumPAS positive septate fibres. Numerous PAS positive septate fibres were found also in the hairfollicles. In the corium a mixed inflammatory infiltration was present with a predominance ofhistiocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. No morphological changes were found after pas-saging the dermatophyte T. rubrum via animals.Guinea pigs and the domestic rabbit are useful animals for inducing experimental infection withthe dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum.

Key words:
anthropophil dermatophytes – Trichophyton rubrum – experimental infection in animals– guinea pig – domestic rabbit.