Cardiac Lesions Resembling Aschoff Bodies in Rabbits

Abstract

Cardiac lesions, resembling those of human rheumatic fever, have been observed in rabbits during the course of a seemingly spontaneous epizootic.

Induction of Cardiac Lesions, Closely Resembling Those of Rheumatic Fever, in Rabbits Following Repeated Skin Infections With Group a Streptococci

“…Controls.--The tissues of rabbits of the same stock and breeds, both normal and subjected to various experimental procedures have been examined at intervals during the investigative period in order to learn whether comparable lesions were occurring in such control animals, for it should be recalled that a peculiar myocarditis was described by Loewe and his coworkers (14) among stocks of rabbits injected with various materials as well as among uninoculated controls. These workers ascribed these lesions to a spontaneous epidemic in their stock.…”

Cardiac Lesions Produced in Rabbits by Massive Injections of Bovine Serum Gamma Globulin

“…The mononuclear cells and giant ceils of the experimental lesions were not identical with the Aschoff cells of human rheumatic fever, and the collagen damage was not so striking, Lesions of the myocardium similar to those reported by other workers as resembling Aschoff bodies (1, 2, 4) were found in our animals. However, we were unable to interpret them as corresponding to the lesions of rheumatic fever due to their resemblance to spontaneous lesions of the myoeardium occurring in rabbits" (8) and to those occurring as a result of epizootic infections (9). These lesions of the myocardium were present in both the treated and control animals and could thus not be ascribed to treatment.…”