Studies of rabbit testes infected with Treponema pallidum. I Immunopathology.
Rabbit testes were injected with suspensions of Treponema pallidum, washed T pallidum, heat killed T pallidum, or Reiter treponemes. The testes were removed three to 24 days after injection and examined for the number of treponemes, the presence of treponemal antibodies, histopathological changes, and presence of T and B cells. In animals infected with T pallidum a substantial number (10(6)-10(7)/ml) of organisms were still present at day 24 in spite of early local production of antibodies and increasing infiltration with plasma cells, T lymphocytes, and macrophages. In animals infected with washed T pallidum a lower degree of inflammation was observed than in those infected with unmodified T pallidum, and the treponemal antibodies were detected simultaneously in samples of testicular fluid and serum. In the groups injected with heat killed T pallidum and Reiter treponemes no macroscopical or microscopical changes were detected, although in the group injected with heat killed T pallidum treponemal antibodies were detected in the testicular fluid on day 24.
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013587:Syphilis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013737:Testis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial