Intrarectal Infection of Guinea Pigs with the Agent of Guinea Pig Inclusion Conjunctivitis

Mount, David T.; Barron, Almen L.

doi:10.3181/00379727-153-39552

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…An important advantage of this model is that the genital tract infection can be transmitted sexually (12). The sexually transmitted infective dose of Chlamydia in guinea pigs has even been determined (93).…”

Section: Guinea Pig Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…GPIC is a natural guinea pig pathogen that causes conjunctivitis (90). Experimental GPIC infection of the guinea pig genital tract leads to an infection that closely resembles a genital tract infection with C. trachomatis both in male and female subjects (11,12). GPIC mainly infects superficial epithelial cells of the cervix (91), but infection frequently ascends to the endometrium and oviducts, which can result in endometritis and/or salpingitis (92).…”

Section: Guinea Pig Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Animal Models for Studying Female Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis

2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Chlamydia trachomatis is a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen. It is the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the world, with more than 100 million new cases of genital tract infections with C. trachomatis occurring each year. Animal models are indispensable for the study of C. trachomatis infections and the development and evaluation of candidate vaccines. In this paper, the most commonly used animal models to study female genital tract infections with C. trachomatis will be reviewed, namely, the mouse, guinea pig, and nonhuman primate models. Additionally, we will focus on the more recently developed pig model. Chlamydia trachomatis, a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium, is the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease. World Health Organization values for 2008 estimated an annual increase of over 100 million genital tract infections with C. trachomatis worldwide (1). The incidence of cases is increasing in many countries (1, 2). Genital tract infections with C. trachomatis can cause cervicitis in women and urethritis in men. However, these infections remain largely subclinical in approximately 70% of women and 50% of men and consequently are often not detected (3). Untreated infections may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal scarring, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain in women, epididymitis in men, and infant pneumonia in children (4-7). Uncomplicated chlamydial infections can be treated easily with antibiotics, but once infection and pathology are established, treatment may be less effective. Asymptomatic individuals can be identified through screening programs, but this approach is likely to be too costly for developing countries. A vaccination program would be much cheaper and have a greater impact in controlling C. trachomatis infections worldwide. Computer modeling suggests that even a partially efficacious chlamydial vaccination program would rapidly reduce the prevalence of genital infection (8). Animal models are indispensable for the study of C. trachomatis infections and the development and evaluation of candidate vaccines. Various animal models have been developed, including mouse (9, 10), guinea pig (11, 12), nonhuman primate (13,14), pig (15), rat (16), and rabbit (17) models. Here, the most commonly used animal models to study female genital tract infections with C. trachomatis will be reviewed, namely, the mouse, guinea pig, and nonhuman primate models. Additionally, we will focus on the more recently developed pig model. MOUSE MODELSMice are the most commonly used animals to study genital chlamydial infections. The advantages of the mouse model are their small size, ease of handling, availability in sufficient amounts, and low cost. Moreover, there are many well-characterized inbred and knockout mouse strains available (18). The female mouse genital tract is susceptible to infection with both Chlamydia muridarum (9) and C. trachomatis (10), which has resulted in the establishment of two murine mod...

show abstract

Section: Guinea Pig Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Guinea Pig Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal Models for Studying Female Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis

2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Barron and Mount inoculated both male and female guinea pigs intrarectally with C. caviae and monitored the course of infection by isolation of chlamydiae from rectal swabs (27). All animals became infected, and organisms could be isolated for up to 25 days.…”

Section: Gi Infection In Animal Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hidden in Plain Sight: Chlamydial Gastrointestinal Infection and Its Relevance to Persistence in Human Genital Infection

2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although the concept of persistence in chlamydial infections has been recognized for about 80 years, there is still very little known about the mechanism by which this occurs. In this review, we revisit an old paradigm, long known to chlamydiologists and veterinarians, that in virtually all hosts of chlamydiae, including mammals and birds, chlamydiae reside in the gastrointestinal tract for long periods of time in the absence of clinical disease. Thus, if gastrointestinal infection occurs in most hosts, then it is very likely that gastrointestinal infection occurs in humans as well. We demonstrate that gastrointestinal infection does indeed occur in humans and propose that this anatomical site is the source of persistent infection in humans. The data in ruminants and animal models demonstrate that the immune system is unable to clear chlamydiae from the gut, so they can remain indefinitely, with continual shedding in feces. Clearly, many women become reinfected from an untreated partner; however, we propose that women, cured of genital infection, remain at risk for autoinoculation from the lower gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, there are substantial data demonstrating treatment failure of chlamydial infections, particularly with azithromycin. New data in the mouse model have shown that azithromycin is far less effective against chlamydial gastrointestinal infection than against genital infections. Therefore, it is possible that women cured of genital infection by antibiotics remain infected in the gastrointestinal tract and can become reinfected by autoinoculation from that site.

show abstract

“…In addition, investigators can collect urethral swabs repeatedly from the same animal, and the guinea pig affords the only animal model in which sexual transmission of chlamydial infection to female guinea pigs can be reliably accomplished (10,24). In the male guinea pig, the infection resolves about 3 weeks after urethral inoculation, and animals are immune to reinfection.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, male guinea pigs can be infected intraurethrally with Chlamydia caviae (Chlamydophila caviae), the agent of guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis (GPIC) (10,26). In addition, investigators can collect urethral swabs repeatedly from the same animal, and the guinea pig affords the only animal model in which sexual transmission of chlamydial infection to female guinea pigs can be reliably accomplished (10,24).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Host Response to Chlamydial Urethral Infection in Male Guinea Pigs

Wang

Nagarajan²,

Hennings

et al. 2010

Infect Immun

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Very little is known about the host response to chlamydial genital infection in the male, particularly about the nature of the local response in the urethra. In this study, the pathological and immunologic responses to urethral infection of the male guinea pig with Chlamydia caviae (Chlamydophila caviae) were characterized both during a primary infection and following a challenge infection. A dose-response experiment found that the 50% infectious dose for male urethral infection was 78 inclusion-forming units. The histopathologic response was similar to that of the female, with an initial acute inflammatory response followed by a chronic inflammatory response and plasma cell infiltration.

show abstract

Intrarectal Infection of Guinea Pigs with the Agent of Guinea Pig Inclusion Conjunctivitis

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Animal Models for Studying Female Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis

Animal Models for Studying Female Genital Tract Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis

Hidden in Plain Sight: Chlamydial Gastrointestinal Infection and Its Relevance to Persistence in Human Genital Infection

Local Host Response to Chlamydial Urethral Infection in Male Guinea Pigs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About