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

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Organ cultures of 10 fallopian tubes were inoculated with a genital strain of Chlamydia trachomatis and 7 were infected. Infection was enhanced by centrifuging the organisms on to the tissues, larger numbers of organisms being re-solated from the tissues after this procedure. There was evidence of chlamydial multiplication because the number of organisms which were recovered from the tissues 3-5 days after inoculation had increased. Recovery was rare after the 6th day suggesting a self-limiting infection. Organ cultures of 2 bovine oviducts were infected with the bovine abortion strain of C. psittaci, but in these experiments centrifugation of the inocula did not enhance infection. The organisms were found in 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 were not detected histologically or by EM 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 chlaymdial growth cycle were seen by EM, 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 and no loss of ciliary activity was detected in cultures infected with C. trachomatis or C. psittaci when compared with uninoculated cultures. Acute salpingitis, when caused by chlamydial infection, is probably immunologically mediated.