Development and Validation of Chlamydia muridarum Mouse Models for Studying Genital Tract Infection Pathogenesis.

Abstract

Animal infection models play significant roles in the study of bacterial pathogenic mechanisms and host-pathogen interactions, as well as in evaluating drug and vaccine efficacies. Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for infections in various mucosal tissues, including the eyes and urogenital, respiratory, and gastrointestinal tracts. Chronic infections can result in severe consequences such as trachoma-induced blindness, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. While intravaginal inoculation of C. muridarum mimics the natural route of sexual transmission between individuals, transcervical inoculation allows the organisms to directly infect endometrial epithelial cells without interference from host responses triggered by chlamydial contact or infection of vaginal and cervical cells. Therefore, in this study, we used mouse models to visualize pathologies in both the endometrium and oviduct following C. muridarum inoculation. Key features • This protocol develops the mouse-adapted Chlamydia muridarum model, ideal for visualizing pathologies in both the endometrium and oviduct genital tract. • Requires female mice and utilizes specific techniques for intravaginal and transcervical inoculation with chlamydial elementary body (EB) and a form specialized for intracellular replication. • The protocol necessitates specialized equipment, including a laminar flow hood, a micropipette, and a non-surgical embryo transfer device (NSET). Graphical overview.