Development of Onchocerca volvulus in humanized NSG mice and detection of parasite biomarkers in urine and serum

Patton, John B.; Bennuru, Sasisekhar; Eberhard, Mark L.; Hess, Jessica A.; Torigian, April; Lustigman, Sara; Nutman, Thomas B.; Abraham, David

Mice were necropsied following previously established protocols for the isolation of filarial worms from tissues [47, 48] . Briefly, mice were anesthetized using isoflurane gas and exsanguinated. The head was removed from the body of the mouse and discarded. The remaining internal organs and skin were removed from the muscles, and the muscle was divided into upper and lower sections at the bottom of the rib cage. All portions of the mouse (muscle, skin, and all internal organs with the exception of the head) were soaked overnight in RPMI containing 10% FBS and with 100 U penicillin, 100 μg streptomycin (Corning), and emerging parasites were then collected and enumerated. Infected mice were evaluated using two criteria: 1) percent established, measured the proportion of mice in a group of infected animals from which live parasites were recovered; and 2) the geometric mean number of live worms recovered per mouse within the group.