Generation of Abiotic Mice for Stable C. jejuni Colonization

IL-10^−/− mice (female and male, all in C57BL/6j background) were reared under specific pathogen free (SPF) conditions in the same unit of the Forschungseinrichtungen für Experimentelle Medizin (FEM, Charité—University Medicine Berlin). In order to counteract physiological colonization resistance and thus assure stable gastrointestinal C. jejuni colonization [13 (link)], secondary abiotic mice with a depleted gut microbiota were generated as described earlier [13 (link), 54 (link)]. In brief, immediately post weaning 3-week-old mice were subjected to a 10-week course of broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment by adding ampicillin plus sulbactam (1 g/l; Ratiopharm, Germany), vancomycin (500 mg/l; Cell Pharm, Germany), ciprofloxacin (200 mg/l; Bayer Vital, Germany), imipenem (250 mg/l; MSD, Germany) and metronidazole (1 g/l; Fresenius, Germany) to the autoclaved drinking water (ad libitum). Two days before pathogenic challenge the antibiotic cocktail was replaced by autoclaved tap water to assure antibiotic washout.