Rat strains differ in susceptibility to Ureaplasma parvum-induced urinary tract infection and struvite stone formation.
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.
Reyes
Leticia
L
Deptartment of Infectious Disease and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0880, USA. lreyes@ufl.edu
Reinhard
Mary
M
O'donell
L J
LJ
Stevens
Janet
J
Brown
Mary B
MB
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
D016207:Cytokines; D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D000069877:Struvite