Elevated Carbon Monoxide in the Exhaled Breath of Mice during a Systemic Bacterial Infection

摘要: Blood is the specimen of choice for most laboratory tests diagnosis and disease monitoring. Sampling exhaled breath a noninvasive alternative to phlebotomy has potential real-time monitoring at bedside. Improved instrumentation advanced analysis several gaseous compounds from humans. However, application small animal models diseases physiology been limited. To extend mice, we crafted means collecting nose-only samples groups individual animals who were awake. Samples subjected gas chromatography mass spectrometry procedures developed highly sensitive trace volatile organic (VOCs) in atmosphere. We evaluated system with experimental systemic infections severe combined immunodeficiency Mus musculus bacterium Borrelia hermsii. Infected mice bacterial densities ∼107 per ml blood by day 4 or 5 comparison uninfected controls had hepatosplenomegaly elevations both inflammatory anti-inflammatory cytokines. While 12 infected on days 6 did not significantly differ 72 different VOCs, carbon monoxide (CO) was elevated mean (95% confidence limits) effect size 4.2 (2.8–5.6), when differences CO2 taken into account. Normalized CO values declined range after one treatment antibiotic ceftriaxone. Strongly correlated levels heme oxygenase-1 protein serum HMOX1 transcripts whole blood. These results (i) provide further evidence informativeness concentration during infection inflammation, (ii) encourage evaluation this analytic approach other various rodent utility clinical management.