Fig 1. Schedule of the infection, treatment, and sample collection of N. gonorrhoeae in the female mouse model of genital tract infection.

Two days before the infection, 8-week-old female ovariectomized BALB/c mice were implanted subcutaneously with a 5-mg, 21-day controlled-release estradiol pellet. Mice were given antibiotics (Tm, trimethoprim; Sm, streptomycin; Van, vancomycin) throughout the experiment, as described in the Materials and Methods section. Two days following vaginal infection, mice were allocated into groups and orally administered either auranofin (0.25 mg/kg) or vehicle (10% DMSO, 10% Tween 80, 80% PBS) for five days. One group of mice was given a single intraperitoneal dose of ceftriaxone (15 mg/kg) as a positive control. Vaginal swabs were collected daily. Samples were serially diluted and plated on GC agar supplemented with vancomycin, colistin, nystatin, and trimethoprim (VCNT).