title: Prophylactic herbal therapy prevents experimental ascending urinary tract infection in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the preventive effect of herbal formulation on experimental murine urinary tract infection (UTI) induced by Dr Escherichia coli 11128.
  
  
  METHODS
  E. coli 11128 carrying Dr fimbriae was isolated from patients with chronic pyelonephritis. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of herbal solution for E. coli 11128 was determined for further studies. Forty C3H/HeJ mice were divided into the herb-treated group (n=20, given Chinese herbs by gavage at an average dose of 20 g/kg body weight daily 3 days before inoculation), and control group (n=20, given the same amount of distilled water by gavage). Three and 6 days after infection, bacteria were counted in the urine and the kidneys of the mice. Kidney histopathologic changes were evaluated. Neutrophils infiltration and accumulation were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MIC value of herbal solution was 0.1 g/mL for the E. coli 11128. In herb-treated mice, there was a significant reduction in bacterial counts in urine and colonization densities of kidneys. Microscopic studies revealed signs of inflammation in kidneys. In herb-treated mice, herbal administration resulted in significantly reduced neutrophilic infiltrates (P<0.05). The semi-quantitative scores for renal lesions were significantly lower (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prophylactic administration of herbal formulation potentiated the effect in partially preventing experimental murine ascending UTI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, the First Affilliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130021, China. tongyanqing@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Yan-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, the First Affilliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, the First Affilliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130021, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008517:Phytotherapy; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Chinese medicine; Dr fimbriae; ascending urinary tract infection