Biomaterial Database

Intranasal immunization induces long-term protection in mice against a Chlamydia trachomatis genital challenge. 1996

S Pal, and E M Peterson, and L M de la Maza

Department of Pathology, University of California, Irvine 92697-4800, USA.

In an attempt to confer long-term protective immunity, BALB/c female mice were immunized intranasally with 10(4) inclusion-forming units (IFU) of the Chlamydia trachomatis mouse pneumonitis biovar (MoPn). Animals were subsequently challenged in the ovarian bursa with 10(5) C. trachomatis MoPn IFU at 60, 120, or 180 days post-intranasal immunization. Two control groups were included in the study. One control was sham immunized and mock challenged, and another group was sham immunized and challenged with 10(5) C. trachomatis MoPn IFU. Vaginal cultures were collected at regular intervals following the intrabursal challenge. In comparison with the sham-immunized mice, the animals that were intranasally immunized with C. trachomatis had significant protection, as shown by a reduction in the number of animals that had positive vaginal cultures and by a decrease in the intensity and length of the shedding. Furthermore, histopathological characterization of the genital tract following challenge, in the three groups of mice, showed a minimal inflammatory infiltrate in the C. trachomatis-immunized animals, when compared with the sham-immunized control group. Subsequently, the three groups of female mice that were challenged at 60, 120 and 180 days postimmunization were mated at 6 weeks following the challenge. Overall, in the mice intranasally immunized with C. trachomatis the fertility rates and the number of embryos were similar to those in the sham-immunized and mock-challenged group. In contrast, there was a significant increase in infertility in the groups of mice that were sham immunized and C. trachomatis challenged. In conclusion, intranasal immunization with C. trachomatis induces long-term protection against a genital challenge as shown by a decrease in the infection and infertility rates when compared with sham-immunized animals. Thus, this model may help to characterize the parameters of the immune response that are important in maintaining long-term protection and may aid in identifying the antigenic determinants involved in eliciting protection.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007114	Immunization	Deliberate stimulation of the host's immune response. ACTIVE IMMUNIZATION involves administration of ANTIGENS or IMMUNOLOGIC ADJUVANTS. PASSIVE IMMUNIZATION involves administration of IMMUNE SERA or LYMPHOCYTES or their extracts (e.g., transfer factor, immune RNA) or transplantation of immunocompetent cell producing tissue (thymus or bone marrow).	Immunologic Stimulation,Immunostimulation,Sensitization, Immunologic,Variolation,Immunologic Sensitization,Immunological Stimulation,Sensitization, Immunological,Stimulation, Immunologic,Immunizations,Immunological Sensitization,Immunological Sensitizations,Immunological Stimulations,Sensitizations, Immunological,Stimulation, Immunological,Stimulations, Immunological,Variolations
D008807	Mice, Inbred BALB C	An inbred strain of mouse that is widely used in IMMUNOLOGY studies and cancer research.	BALB C Mice, Inbred,BALB C Mouse, Inbred,Inbred BALB C Mice,Inbred BALB C Mouse,Mice, BALB C,Mouse, BALB C,Mouse, Inbred BALB C,BALB C Mice,BALB C Mouse
D002690	Chlamydia Infections	Infections with bacteria of the genus CHLAMYDIA.	Infections, Chlamydia,Chlamydia Infection,Infection, Chlamydia
D002692	Chlamydia trachomatis	Type species of CHLAMYDIA causing a variety of ocular and urogenital diseases.
D005260	Female		Females
D000281	Administration, Intranasal	Delivery of medications through the nasal mucosa.	Drug Administration, Intranasal,Administration, Intranasal Drug,Administration, Nasal,Intranasal Administration,Intranasal Drug Administration,Administrations, Intranasal,Administrations, Intranasal Drug,Administrations, Nasal,Drug Administrations, Intranasal,Intranasal Administrations,Intranasal Drug Administrations,Nasal Administration,Nasal Administrations
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014621	Vagina	The genital canal in the female, extending from the UTERUS to the VULVA. (Stedman, 25th ed)	Vaginas
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus