The hereditarily asplenic-athymic (lasat) mouse as an experimental animal model of lepromatous leprosy: role of the spleen in the formation of lepromatoid lesions.

Lozzio et al,(1,2) reported on the successful transplantation of human myelogenous leukemic cells by the use of the hereditarily asplenic-athymic (Lasat) mouse produced by mating the congenitally asplenic mouse impaired of its antibody production and the hereditarily athymic mouse deficient of its cellular immunity. On the other hand, we(3) reported hereditarily asplenic-athymic mouse by mating congenitally asplenic mouse (B6C3DH) and the hereditarily athymic mouse (C57BL/6, BALB/c and ICR backgrounds) for study of lepromatous leprosy, the superiority of hereditarily asplenic-athymic mouse to the congenitally athymic mouse was confirmed. While, we(4) also reported on the presence of susceptibility difference among various strains of congenitally athymic mouse against Mycobacterium leprae, suggesting, aside from the involved for the growth of M. leprae. In the present study, splenectomy was applied on the congenitally athymic mice of several strains with different backgrounds same as previously used(4) comparisons being made with the hereditarily asplenic-athymic mice, investigations were made to detect a possible difference in the role of spleen for the growth of M. leprae.