Growth and effect of chlamydiae in human and bovine oviduct organ cultures

Abstract

SUMMARY Organ cultures of 10 Fallopian tubes were inoculated with a genital strain of Chlamydia trachomatis and seven were infected. Infection was enhanced by centrifuging the organisms on to the tissues, larger numbers of organisms being reisolated from the tissues after this procedure. There was evidence of chlamydial multiplication because the number of organisms which were recovered from the tissues three to five days after inoculation had increased. Recovery was rare, however, after the sixth day, thus suggesting a self-limiting infection. Organ cultures of two bovine oviducts were infected with the bovine abortion strain of Chiamydia psittaci, but in these experiments centrifugation of the inocula did not enhance infection. The organisms were found in both the tissue and medium of cultures up to 18 days after inoculation and in much greater numbers than in the C. trachomatis-infected Fallopian cultures. Chlamydial infection was not entirely host-tissue specific, because C. trachomatis organisms were isolated from bovine oviduct cultures. Inclusions, however, were not detected histologically or electron microscopically in the epithelium of C. trachomatis-infected cultures, but they were detected by these means in C. psittaci-infected bovine cultures. All the elements of the chlamydial growth cycle were seen by electron microscopy, organisms being found in ciliated and possibly non-ciliated cells, and shedding of some infected epithelial cells was observed. No evidence of extensive epithelial cell damage was observed, however, and no loss of ciliary activity was detected in cultures infected with either C. trachormatis or C. psittaci when compared with uninoculated cultures. Thus acute salpingitis, when caused by chlamydial infection, is probably immunologically mediated.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection of human fallopian tube organ cultures

“…In contrast to gonococcal infection of HFTOC, where lipopolysaccharides and peptidoglycan monomers released from rapidly dividing gonococci extensively damage both ciliated and nonciliated epithelial cells (Stephens, 1989), infection of HFTOC with C. trachomat u had no overall effect on mucosal architecture or ciliary activity. These data support the results of Hutchinson et al (1979), who found that ciliary activity of fallopian tube mucosa was not diminished by C. trachomatis infection. However, studies of human fallopian tubes removed during active chlamydial salpingitis demonstrate marked inflammation, loss of cilia, oedema and extensive disruption of the mucosal surface.…”

Chlamydia trachomatis Infection of Mouse Trophoblasts

“…There are no useful in vitro models to study the possible roles of Chlamydia in infertility. Studies from England have shown that C. trachomatis is capable of infecting human fallopian tube explants in vitro, but the infection does not appear to reduce ciliary action (3). We have confirmed this observation, finding a several-log increase in chlamydial titer in the absence of gross or histopathological damage to human fallopian tube organ cultures.…”

Distinct function of Th1 and Th2 type delayed type hypersensitivity: Protective and pathological reactions to chlamydial infection

“…Many studies have suggested that most chlamydial disease sequelae are caused by immunopathological reaction (Cooper et al, 1990;Hutchinson et al, 1979;Patton, 1985;Quinn et al, 1992). From the public health perspective, the most troublesome aspect of chlamydial infection is not the infection per se, rather, it is the immunopathological responses that cause major health problems including blindness, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy.…”