Effects of anaerobic and microaerophilic conditions of extraction and incubation on the survival of Treponema pallidum in vitro.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
T. pallidum extracted from infected rabbit testes under anaerobic conditions survived longer in vitro than those extracted under aerobic conditions. Anaerobically extracted treponemes were incubated anaerobically for 0, 12, 24, 36 or 48 h and then exposed to microaerophilic conditions (3% O2) for further incubation. Treponemes transferred to microaerophilic conditions after 36 or 48 h anaerobic incubation maintained significantly greater viability compared with those kept under constant microaerophilic conditions, although there was no difference after 12 or 24 h. T. pallidum incubated under constant anaerobic conditions, however, usually maintained greater viability than those kept under constant microaerophilic conditions. Thus, T. pallidum apparently is sensitive to O2 toxicity during initial extraction from orchitic rabbit testes and subsequent incubation in vitro. In the latter case, it can be partially protected by a period of anaerobic incubation in vitro, before exposure to microaerophilic conditions.