Prophylactic effect of monensin sodium against experimentally induced paratuberculosis in mice.

Monensin sodium (0, 15, or 30 mg/kg of complete feed) was fed ad libitum for 1 week to female mice (strain C57BL6/J) that were genetically susceptible to infection with Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. Ten mice in each of the 3 groups were inoculated intraperitoneally with M paratuberculosis (10(9) organisms). Sterile saline solution was injected intraperitoneally into 10 other mice in each group. Rations were continued for 50 days, then mice were euthanatized, and body weight, splenic weight, and hepatic weight for each mouse were recorded. Ratios of body weight to splenic weight and of body weight to hepatic weight were calculated for each mouse. Hepatic granulomas in 50 light microscopic fields were counted, and presence of acid-fast organisms in those granulomas was recorded. Infected mice given monensin had higher body weight and fewer hepatic granulomas than did mice not given monensin. Although hepatic granulomas were fewer in these mice, they contained acid-fast organisms. Effects of 15 mg of monensin and those of 30 mg of monensin/kg of complete feed were not different.

Prophylactic effect of monensin sodium against experimentally induced paratuberculosis in mice. Academic Article