agar plates. Count the CFUs after an overnight incubation at
37 C to determine the bacterial inoculum concentration.- Assess animal survival over time (seeNote 6).
- At the experimentally determined assessment time points, sac-
rifice subgroups of animals. Dissect the rectus abdominis and
pectoralis major muscles and place muscle samples into 5 ml
plastic tubes for bacterial load quantification (seeNote 7). - Blood samples by submandibular or cardiac puncture can be
used to assess bacterial systemic dissemination serially or at the
time or euthanasia. Kidney, liver, or spleen samples can be also
obtained to assess systemic dissemination.
Fig. 4Open wound and infection model. Materials used in this model (a–c). Mice are shaved (d), depilated
(e,f), wounded (g–i), infected (j), covered (k), and put back in their cages (l)
234 Damien Maura et al.