BACKGROUND: In view of the ever-increasing representation of Staphylococcus spp. strains resistant to various antibiotics, the development of in vivo models for evaluation of novel antimicrobials is of utmost importance. METHODS: In this article, we describe the development of a fully immunocompetent porcine model of extensive skin and soft tissue damage suitable for testing topical antimicrobial agents that matches the real clinical situation. The model was developed in three consecutive stages with protocols for each stage amended based on the results of the previous one. RESULTS: In the final model, 10 excisions of the skin and underlying soft tissue were created in each pig under general anesthesia, with additional incisions to the fascia performed at the base of the defects and immediately inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus suspension. One pig was not inoculated and used as the negative control. Subsequently, the bandages were changed on Days 4, 8, 11, and 15. At these time points, a filter paper imprint technique (FPIT) was made from each wound for semi-quantitative microbiological evaluation. Tissue samples from the base of the wound together with the adjacent intact tissue of three randomly selected defects of each pig were taken for microbiological, histopathological, and molecular-biological examination. The infection with the inoculated S. aureus strains was sufficient during the whole experiment as confirmed by both FPIT and from tissue samples. The dynamics of the inflammatory markers and clinical signs of infection are also described. CONCLUSIONS: A successfully developed porcine model is suitable for in vivo testing of novel short-acting topical antimicrobial agents.

CEITEC Central European Institute of Technology Brno University of Technology Brno Czech Republic

Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery Faculty of Medicine Institution Shared with University Hospital Brno Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Burns Medicine 3rd Faculty of Medicine Charles University and University Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady Vinohrady Prague Czech Republic

Department of Experimental Biology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Histology and Embryology Faculty of Medicine University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic

Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine Veterinary Research Institute Brno Czech Republic

Department of Microbiology St Anne's University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Morphology Physiology and Animal Genetics Faculty of AgriSciences Mendel University in Brno Brno Czech Republic

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