Skip to main content
PMC home page
The British Journal of Venereal Diseases logoLink to The British Journal of Venereal Diseases
. 1983 Jun;59(3):157–168. doi: 10.1136/sti.59.3.157

Experimental syphilis: guinea pig model.

C S Pierce, K Wicher, S Nakeeb
PMCID: PMC1046167  PMID: 6342707

Abstract

Outbred Hartley male guinea pigs (300-400 g) were infected intradermally with various concentrations of Treponema pallidum Nichols strain in the pubic region. The median lethal dose (ID50) was approximately 10(5). The animals produced lesions visible by darkfield microscopy, treponemal antibodies (IgG only), and histopathological changes in the lymphoid organs. Though less susceptible to T pallidum infection than the rabbit when infected with a sufficient number of organisms, the guinea pig may be a useful model in experimental syphilis.

Full text

PDF
157

Images in this article

160Image
on p.160
160Image
on p.160
161Image
on p.161
161Image
on p.161
162Image
on p.162
164Image
on p.164
165Image
on p.165

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adler B., Faine S., Muller H. K., Green D. E. Maturation of humoral immune response determines the susceptibility of guinea-pigs to leptospirosis. Pathology. 1980 Oct;12(4):529–538. doi: 10.3109/00313028009086806. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baughn R. E., Musher D. M. Altered immune responsiveness associated with experimental syphilis in the rabbit: elevated IgM and depressed IgG responses to sheep erythrocytes. J Immunol. 1978 May;120(5):1691–1695. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. GASTINEL P., VAISMAN A., VAISMAN La dispersion tréponémique dans la syphilis expérimentale du cobaye. Ann Dermatol Syphiligr (Paris) 1955 Sep-Oct;82(5):481–483. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. HANSON A. W., CANNEFAX G. R. RECOVERY OF TREPONEMA AND BORRELIA AFTER LYOPHILIZATION. J Bacteriol. 1964 Sep;88:811–811. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.3.811-811.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HUNTER E. F., DEACON W. E., MEYER P. E. AN IMPROVED FTA TEST FOR SYPHILIS, THE ABSORPTION PROCEDURE (FTA-ABS). Public Health Rep. 1964 May;79:410–412. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Jerne N. K., Henry C., Nordin A. A., Fuji H., Koros A. M., Lefkovits I. Plaque forming cells: methodology and theory. Transplant Rev. 1974;18:130–191. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1974.tb01588.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jerne N. K., Nordin A. A. Plaque Formation in Agar by Single Antibody-Producing Cells. Science. 1963 Apr 26;140(3565):405–405. doi: 10.1126/science.140.3565.405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Klein J. R., Monjan A. A., Hardy P. H., Jr, Cole G. A. Abrogation of genetically controlled resistance of mice to Treponema pallidum by irradiation. Nature. 1980 Feb 7;283(5747):572–574. doi: 10.1038/283572a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kumar V., Klingman J. D., Wicher K. Host response to Treponema pallidum infection. I. Quantitative changes of lipids in rabbit organs. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1977;55(1-6):476–480. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MANDELL J. D., HERSHEY A. D. A fractionating column for analysis of nucleic acids. Anal Biochem. 1960 Jun;1:66–77. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(60)90020-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. MILGROM F., WICHER K. Iconographia syphilidis experimentalis. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 1954;2:185–197. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MILGROM F., WITEBSKY E. Autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases. JAMA. 1962 Aug 25;181:706–716. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Matthews H. M., Yang T. K., Jenkin H. M. Unique lipid composition of Treponema pallidum (Nichols virulent strain). Infect Immun. 1979 Jun;24(3):713–719. doi: 10.1128/iai.24.3.713-719.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. WICHER K., JAKUBOWSKI A. EFFECT OF CORTISONE ON THE COURSE OF EXPERIMENTAL SYPHILIS IN THE GUINEA-PIG. I. EFFECT OF PREVIOUSLY-ADMINISTERED CORTISONE ON GUINEA-PIGS INFECTED WITH TREPONEMA PALLIDUM INTRADERMALLY, INTRATESTICULARLY, AND INTRAVENOUSLY. Br J Vener Dis. 1964 Sep;40:213–216. doi: 10.1136/sti.40.3.213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. WICHER K., LESINSKI J., JAKUBOWSKI A. [Studies on the course of experimental syphillis in guinea pigs]. Pol Tyg Lek. 1959 Jun 29;14:1218–1219. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Watanabe N., Kojima S., Ovary Z. Suppression of IgE antibody production in SJL mice. I. Nonspecific suppressor T cells. J Exp Med. 1976 Apr 1;143(4):833–845. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.4.833. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Wicher K., Wicher V., Wang M. C. Cellular and humoral immune response to guinea pig infected with Treponema pallidum. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1976;51(3):284–297. doi: 10.1159/000231603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wicher V., Wicher K. Cell response in rabbits infected with T. pallidum as measured by the leucocyte migration inhibition test. Br J Vener Dis. 1975 Aug;51(4):240–245. doi: 10.1136/sti.51.4.240. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Wicher V., Wicher K. In vitro cell response of Treponema pallidum-infected rabbits. I. Lymphocyte transformation. Clin Exp Immunol. 1977 Sep;29(3):480–486. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Venereal Diseases are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES