COWEN D, WOLF A
J Exp Med. 1950 Nov 1;92(5):393-402. doi: 10.1084/jem.92.5.393.
Toxoplasmosis can be transmitted to mice by the introduction of Toxoplasma into the vagina. Pregnant mice were more susceptible to infection than non-pregnant animals in the ratio of 3 to 1. Obvious signs of vaginitis were not observed. Many of the infected mice remained entirely free of external signs, while a minority showed neurological or respiratory disturbances. Pregnant animals, especially those infected 6 to 10 days following conception, often died in the terminal stages of pregnancy or shortly after parturition. The possibility that the vagina may serve as one of the portals of entry of Toxoplasma in the human being and that infection may occur by sexual contact or by contamination by feces or other Toxoplasma-containing materials is discussed. The high susceptibility of the pregnant mouse to toxoplasmosis under the conditions of these experiments suggests a possible explanation for the higher incidence of congenital as compared to postnatal human toxoplasmosis and for the associated asymptomatic maternal infection. The infected but clinically normal human mothers may be compared to some vaginally infected pregnant mice which remained symptom-free.
通过将弓形虫引入阴道可使小鼠感染弓形虫病。怀孕小鼠比未怀孕动物更易感染,比例为3比1。未观察到明显的阴道炎迹象。许多受感染的小鼠完全没有外部症状,而少数小鼠表现出神经或呼吸紊乱。怀孕动物,尤其是在受孕后6至10天感染的动物,常在妊娠末期或分娩后不久死亡。文中讨论了阴道可能是弓形虫进入人体的途径之一,以及感染可能通过性接触或粪便或其他含弓形虫物质污染而发生的可能性。在这些实验条件下,怀孕小鼠对弓形虫病的高度易感性为先天性人类弓形虫病发病率高于后天性弓形虫病以及相关的无症状母体感染提供了一种可能的解释。受感染但临床正常的人类母亲可与一些阴道感染但无症状的怀孕小鼠相比较。