A Multigenerational “Dirty” Mouse Model for Studying Trauma-Induced Immune Dysregulation and Infection Susceptibility

Trauma induces immune dysregulation in both humans and mice, increasing infection susceptibility. Mouse models are critical in research but have been criticized for lacking translational relevance. This study tested whether multigenerational “natural immune” (NI) mice – generated by co-housing C57BL/6 mice with “dirty” pet shop mice and breeding through multiple generations – would develop a more human-like immune response to trauma and infection than “clean” specific pathogen-free (SPF) C57BL/6 mice whose immune systems developed without normal flora. To address this gap, SPF and NI mice underwent burn trauma followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection. Peripheral blood and bone marrow immune cells were characterized by flow cytometry and mass cytometry (CyTOF). Blood samples from trauma patients were analyzed for comparison. At baseline, NI mice exhibited more neutrophils compared to SPF mice, closer resembling human peripheral immune composition. Following injury, SPF mice demonstrated increased blood neutrophils and monocytes with reduced B and T cells, whereas NI mice exhibited a muted blood immune cell response. In contrast, NI mice showed a robust emergency granulopoiesis response and preserved hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) following secondary infection, whereas HSCs decreased in SPF mice. Time-matched blood samples from human trauma patients revealed alterations more closely resembling those observed in NI mice. These findings support the hypothesis that NI mice develop a more human-like immune response to trauma and infection than SPF mice. This suggests that NI mice may provide a more translationally relevant platform for studying trauma-induced immune dysfunction and infection susceptibility mechanisms.