Mouse Pathology

Strain Related (Non-neoplastic) Pathology

100

What are the common strain related spontaneous diseases in C57BL/6 mice?

C57BL/6 mice are predisposed to hydrocephalus, hipocampal neurodegeneration, microphthalmia, anophthalmia, malocclusion, age related cochlear degeneration and hearing loss, age related pulmonary proteinosis and epithelial hyalinosis. Percy and Barthold, p. 5

200

What are common strain related spontaneous diseases in BALB/c mice?

BALB/c mice develop dystrophic epicardial mineralization of the right ventricular free wall, myocardial degeneration, auricular thrombosis, corneal opacities, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, periorbital abscesses, hypocalosity (corpus callosum aplasia), age related hearing loss. Percy and Barthold, p. 5

300

What are common strain related spontaneous diseases in C3H/He mice?

C3H/He mice are prone to corneal opacities, age related hearing loss, focal myocardial and skeletal mineralization, myocardial degeneration, and C3H/HeJ develop alopecia areata as they age. Percy and Barthold, p. 5

400

List some diseases common to many 129 strains:

age related pulmonary proteinosis and epithelial hyalinosis, megaesophagus; blepharitis and conjunctivitis (in 129P3). Percy and Barthold, p. 5

500

List common diseases of FVB/N mice:

FVB/N mice are blind due to homozygosity of rd1 allele (Pde6brd1), are prone to seziures, mammary hyperplasia, hyperplasia or adenoma of prolactin secreting cells in anterior pituitary (but mammary tumors are rare). Percy and Barthold, p. 5

Strain Related Neoplasia

100

What are the most common neoplasms in C57BL/6 mice?

lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and pituitary adenoma. Percy and Barthold, p. 5

200

What are the most common neoplasms in BALB/c mice?

lung adenoma, lymphoma, harderian gland tumors, adrenal adenomas, myoepitheliomas of salivary, preputial, or other exocrine glands. Percy and Barthold, p. 5

300

What are the most common neoplasms in C3H/He mice?

C3H/He mice are susceptible to exogenous murine mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-induced mammary tumors and have a high incidence mammary tumors due to endogenous MMTV. Also common, hepatocellular tumors. Percy and Barthold, p. 5

400

List some neoplasms common to many 129 strains:

lung tumors, harderian gland tumors, ovarian tumors, hemangiosarcoma, and testicular teratoma (in 129/Sv). Percy and Barthold, p. 5

500

List common neoplasms of FVB/N mice:

tumors of lung, pituitary, harderian gland, liver, lymphoblasts, and pheochromocytomas. Percy and Barthold, p. 5

Mutants

100

List the 3 general approaches used to create genetically engineered mice:

Random mutagenesis, random transgenesis, targeted transgenesis. Percy and Barthold, p. 6

200

List methods of random mutagenesis:

chemical mutagenesis (N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea or ENU), radiation, random transgenesis, gene trapping, retroviral transgenesis. Percy and Barthold, p. 6

300

Describe random transgenesis:

Random transgenesis involves pronuclear microinjection of ectopic DNA into zygotes (typically hybrids of 2 inbred strains, outbred Swiss, or inbred Swiss FVB/N). Percy and Barthold, p. 6

400

What method is used for targeted transgenesis?

Homologous recombination, a technique that allows for targeted insertion of a transgene. The transgene is introduced in embryonic stem cells from a (typically a 129 strain). The stem cells are then injected into a blastocyst (often B6) resulting in a chimera. Percy and Barthold, p. 6

500

Experimental mutation can lead to embryo/fetal deaths and pathologists are often called on to evaluate developmental defects. Fetal viability is most often affected by abnormalities in what?

placentation, liver function, cardiovascular function, or hematopoesis. Percy and Barthold, p. 7

Viral Disease

100

List the major DNA viruses that affect mice:

mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAdV-1, murine adenovirus A), mouse adenovirus type 2 (MAdV-2, murine adenovirus B), mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV, murid herpesvirus 1), mouse thymic virus (MTV, murid herpesvirus 3), polyoma virus of mice (murine polyoma virus, MPyV), K virus (murine pneumotropica virus, MPtV), minute virus of mice (MVM, mice minute virus, MMV), mouse parvovirus 1 (MPV) , Ectromelia virus (ECTV). Percy and Barthold, p. 17-28

200

List 3 DNA viruses that cause multisystemic infections intranuclear inclusions:

MAdV-1, polyoma virus, cytomegalovirus. Percy and Barthold, p. 19

300

True or false: Serological screening for MVM and MPV is not always adequate, because serological response to parvovirus is variable among different strains.

True, B6 mice are highly resistant and often mount an undetectable serological response. PCR is available for use on tissue and feces, the mesenteric lymph node being the optimal tissue. Percy and Barthold, p. 25

400

List the major RNA viruses that affect mice:

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV), Lactate Dehydrogenase-Elevating Virus (LDV), Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV), Pneumonia Virus of Mice (commonly PVM, officially Murine pneumovirus MPV), Sendai Virus (SeV), Mouse Encephalomyelitis Virus (MEV), Reovirus (MRV), Rotavirus (Rotavirus-A, RV-A), Norovirus (MNV). Percy and Barthold, p. 28-45

500

Which strains of MHV tend to be polytropic, the respiratory or enterotropic strains?

Respiratory strains of MHV tend to be polytropic, so for culture they tend to grow well in a variety of cell lines. Enterotropic MHV strains tend to be more fastidious. Percy and Barthold, p. 35

Differential Diagnoses

100

List differential diagnoses for nude mice with wasting disease:

polyoma virus, mouse hepatitis virus, Pneumocystis murina, Sendai virus, and pneumonia virus of mice. LAM, p. 65; Percy and Barthold, p. 23

200

List differential diagnoses for hepatitis in adult mice:

MHV, Tyzzer’s disease, salmonellosis, mouse pox and others. Percy and Barthold, p. 27

300

List differential diagnoses for a mouse with cutaneous erythema and erosions and swollen, gangrenous extremities

Skin lesions can be caused by Ectromelia virus infection (mousepox), bite wounds, hypersensitivity, bacterial and other forms of dermatitis. Gangrene and amputation of digits or tail can be caused by Ectromelia virus infection (mousepox), trauma or “ring tail”. LAM, p. 58; Percy and Barthold, p. 27

400

List differential diagnoses for respiratory disease in a mouse:

Mycoplasma pulmonis, Pasturella pneumotropica, CAR bacillus, Sendai virus, Pneumocystis murina LAM, p. 70-72; Percy and Barthold, p. 66-68

500

List differential diagnoses for diarrhea in infant mice:

Rotavirus (EDIM), enterotropic MHV, MAdV, reovirus, salmonellosis, and Tyzzer's disease. LAM, p. 73-74; Percy and Barthold, p. 43