Can sulfasalazine prevent infection-mediated pre-term birth in a murine model?
OBJECTIVE
Sulfasalazine (SASP) blocks activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in gestational tissues in vitro- one of the earliest signals in the inflammatory response. We hypothesized that the administration of SASP would reduce the rate of infection-mediated pre-term birth in a murine model.


METHODS
of study CD-1 mice (n = 40) were assigned on gestational day (gd) 14.5 to 1 of 3 treatments: (1) Sham infection and vehicle; (2) 10(4) CFU Escherichia coli and vehicle; or (3) 10(4) CFU E. coli and SASP (150 mg/Kg daily). Mice were observed twice daily and deliveries prior to gd 18.5 were considered pre-term.


RESULTS
Significantly more mice delivered prior to gd 18.5 when infected with 10(4) CFU E. coli than sham-infected mice (P < 0.001) and this effect was significantly reduced in mice also treated with SASP (P = 0.002). SASP also tended to increase litter size (P = 0.060) and significantly increased weight of pups born to dams with intrauterine infections (P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
SASP reduced rates of pre-term delivery and improved pregnancy outcomes for mice infected with 10(4) CFU E. coli. This suggests that SASP has the potential to play a role in strategies to prevent pre-term birth in women.
Nath
Carl A
CA
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
Ananth
Cande V
CV
Smulian
John C
JC
Peltier
Morgan R
MR
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012460:Sulfasalazine