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Jason D. Bell, Ingrid L. Bergin, Lisa H. Harris, Daniel Chai, Isaac Mullei, Jason Mwenda, Vanessa K. Dalton, Anjel Vahratian, William LeBar, Melissa K. Zochowski, Nicholas Kiulia, David M. Aronoff, Dorothy L. Patton, The Effects of a Single Cervical Inoculation of Chlamydia trachomatis on the Female Reproductive Tract of the Baboon (Papio anubis), The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 204, Issue 9, 1 November 2011, Pages 1305–1312, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jir541
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Abstract
Background. The baboon (Papio hamadryas anubis) can be transcervically instrumented, facilitating studies of intrauterine contraception and reproductive tract infection. We sought to determine if the baboon could become infected with a single cervical inoculation of Chlamydia trachomatis.
Methods. Ten female baboons were randomized and inoculated cervically with C. trachomatis serovar E (or buffer alone). Animals underwent weekly clinical and laparoscopic evaluations for four weeks and at post-inoculation week 8, to monitor upper tract infection. Cervical culture and nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) were completed weekly throughout the study. Animals were euthanized at week 16 and the reproductive tracts were examined histologically.
Results. All inoculated animals developed cervical infection. The average duration of positive NAAT results was 6.8 weeks (range 2–16). Two of eight (25%) animals tested positive from fallopian tube samples. Infected animals showed histological findings consistent with chlamydial infection, such as germinal centers. Five of ten animals seroconverted to C. trachomatis.
Conclusions. Baboons cervically inoculated once with C. trachomatis develop infection similar to humans, with a low incidence of upper tract infection. This novel model of Chlamydia infection closely resembles human disease and opens new avenues for studying the pathogenesis of sexually transmitted infections and contraceptive safety.
- chlamydia infections
- contraceptive methods
- buffers
- chlamydia trachomatis
- fallopian tubes
- female genitalia
- germinal center of lymph node
- laparoscopy
- papio
- reproductive physiological process
- vaccination
- infections
- pelvic inflammatory disease
- cervical culture
- nucleic acid amplification tests
- intrauterine route of drug administration
- serotype