In vivo whole animal body imaging reveals colonization of Chlamydia muridarum to the lower genital tract at early stages of infection.
OBJECTIVE
The leading cause of sexually transmitted bacterial infection is Chlamydia trachomatis. The aim of this study is to investigate the early events in colonization of this bacterium within the murine genital tract.


METHODS
An in vivo animal body imaging technology was used to track fluorophore labeled C. muridarum elementary bodies (EBs) inoculated intravaginally in C57BL/6 mice during the first 24 h of infection.


RESULTS
Ascension of viable EBs was observed (1) to be localized to the lower regions of the murine genital tract within the first 24 h post challenge and (2) was dose independent during this early exposure period. Molecular detection revealed enhanced bacterial load in lower regions of the genital tract with increasing bacterial load in the upper region beginning 12 h post inoculation.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides additional insight into chlamydial colonization in the murine genital tract during the first 12-24 h following inoculation.
South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Disease and Center of Excellence in Infection Genomics, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA.
Rishein
R
Gupta
Shradha
S
Wali
Jieh-Juen
JJ
Yu
James P
JP
Chambers
Guangming
G
Zhong
Ashlesh K
AK
Murthy
Sazaly Abu
SA
Bakar
M N
MN
Guentzel
Bernard P
BP
Arulanandam
D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D023502:Chlamydia muridarum / Q000254:growth & development*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051598:Whole Body Imaging / Q000379:methods*