Reducing the group size in studies of dermatitis by standardization of the gut microbiota
During the last decade it has become increasingly clearer that the composition of the gut microbiota has severe impact on disease expression in laboratory mice. The more the mice differ in this aspect, the more variation will be observed, and the more animals will be used. It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that if the mice could be made more uniform in their gut microbiota this would enable a reduction in the group sizes of mouse experiments.
The oxazolon induced mouse model of atopic dermatis is such a model in which the largest differences have been observed in relation to gut microbiota composition, and this model is the target of this project. However, the issues is also relevant for models of diabetes, obesity, Morbus Chrohn, as well as other diseases. Germ free mice are inoculated with a gut microbiota from mice with a high or a low response in the atopic dermatitis model, and it is hypothesized that the response when inducing the model in inoculated mice will mimic the donor.
Therefore, it may be possible in future development and test of products against atopic dermatitis in children to use mice made responding more precisely, because they have been inoculated with high responder microbiota. In subsequent projects it is the hope that the method can also be applied in other fields of research.
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