title: Rat strains differ in susceptibility to Ureaplasma parvum-induced urinary tract infection and struvite stone formation.
abstract: Individuals with struvite uroliths are susceptible to recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI), sepsis, and renal disease. Unfortunately, little is known about the host-specific factors that predispose to this disease. In order to develop a rodent model that can address this problem, we inoculated female Fischer 344 (F344), Lewis (LEW), Sprague-Dawley (SD), and Wistar (WIS) rats with a host-adapted strain of Ureaplasma parvum. Animals were necropsied at 2 weeks postinoculation; 100% of F344, 42% of SD, 10% of LEW, and 10% of WIS rats remained infected. Severe bladder lesions and struvite calculi were seen in 64% of F344 rats; in other rat strains, bladder lesions were mild or absent. F344 rats with struvite uroliths had the highest urinary levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as GRO/KC, interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), and IL-1beta. F344 rats without struvite stones at necropsy had milder bladder lesions and significantly lower urinary levels of proinflammatory cytokines but a more prominent inflammatory response than did other rat strains. Based on our results, struvite stone formation is linked to a robust inflammatory response that does not resolve UTI but instead promotes damage to surrounding tissues.
authors.affiliation: Deptartment of Infectious Disease and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0880, USA. lreyes@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reinhard
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: O'donell
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Mary B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000652:urine; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D000069877:Struvite; D014509:Ureaplasma; D016869:Ureaplasma Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D000069877:Struvite