Zhang Qi, Huang Yumeng, Gong Siqi, Yang Zhangsheng, Sun Xin, Schenken Robert, Zhong Guangming
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Infect Immun. 2015 Sep;83(9):3568-77. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00673-15. Epub 2015 Jun 22.
Intravaginal infection with Chlamydia muridarum in mice can ascend to the upper genital tract, resulting in hydrosalpinx, a pathological hallmark for tubal infertility in women infected with C. trachomatis. Here, we utilized in vivo imaging of C. muridarum infection in mice following an intravaginal inoculation and confirmed the rapid ascent of the chlamydial organisms from the lower to upper genital tracts. Unexpectedly, the C. muridarum-derived signal was still detectable in the abdominal area 100 days after inoculation. Ex vivo imaging of the mouse organs revealed that the long-lasting presence of the chlamydial signal was restricted to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which was validated by directly measuring the chlamydial live organisms and genomes in the same organs. The C. muridarum organisms spreading from the genital to the GI tracts were detected in different mouse strains and appeared to be independent of oral or rectal routes. Mice prevented from orally taking up excretions also developed the long-lasting GI tract infection. Inoculation of C. muridarum directly into the upper genital tract, which resulted in a delayed vaginal shedding of live organisms, accelerated the chlamydial spreading to the GI tract. Thus, we have demonstrated that the genital tract chlamydial organisms may use a systemic route to spread to and establish a long-lasting infection in the GI tract. The significance of the chlamydial spreading from the genital to GI tracts is discussed.
小鼠经阴道感染鼠衣原体可上行至泌尿生殖道上部，导致输卵管积水，这是感染沙眼衣原体的女性输卵管性不孕的一个病理特征。在此，我们利用体内成像技术观察了小鼠经阴道接种鼠衣原体后的感染情况，并证实衣原体微生物能从下泌尿生殖道快速上行至上泌尿生殖道。出乎意料的是，接种100天后在腹部区域仍可检测到鼠衣原体产生的信号。对小鼠器官进行的离体成像显示，衣原体信号的长期存在局限于胃肠道，这通过直接测量同一器官中的衣原体活生物体和基因组得到了验证。在不同小鼠品系中均检测到从生殖道扩散至胃肠道的鼠衣原体，且似乎与口服或直肠途径无关。阻止小鼠经口摄入排泄物也会导致胃肠道长期感染。将鼠衣原体直接接种到上泌尿生殖道会导致活生物体的阴道排菌延迟，但会加速衣原体向胃肠道的扩散。因此，我们证明了生殖道衣原体微生物可能通过全身途径扩散至胃肠道并在其中建立长期感染。本文讨论了衣原体从生殖道扩散至胃肠道的意义。
