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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Measurement of Tactile Allodynia in a Murine Model of Bacterial Prostatitis
Published on: January 16, 2013
Mouse model for acute bacterial prostatitis in genetically distinct inbred strains
Johny E Elkahwaji1, Christopher J Ott, Lindsay M Janda
1Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. elka@surgery.wisc.edu
Objectives:
Prostatitis is a common urologic disease seen in adult men. As many as 50% of men will experience an episode of prostatitis in their lifetime, and 2% to 3% of men will have bacterial prostatitis. Because the pathogenic mechanisms of prostatitis remain unclear, we developed a reproducible mouse model of bacterial prostatitis in which to study the etiology and host factors associated with infection susceptibility.
Methods:
Male BALB/c, C3H/HeJ, C3H/HeOuJ, C57BL/6J, and (BALB/c x C3H/HeJ)F1 mice 13 weeks old were inoculated intraurethrally with 2 x 10(6) or 2 x 10(8) Escherichia coli. Control mice were inoculated with phosphate-buffered saline. The animals were killed at 5 days after inoculation to assess the intensities of the bladder and prostate infections.
Results:
Significant bladder or prostate infections were not present in the BALB/c, C57BL/6J, or (BALB/c x C3H/HeJ)F1 mice at either inoculum dose. In contrast, both C3H/HeJ and C3H/HeOuJ mice developed high bladder infections and severe, acute prostatitis at both doses. Control mice infected with phosphate-buffered saline had no bladder or prostate infections. The P values were less than 0.01 for the comparison of bladder and prostate colony-forming units between C3H/HeJ or C3H/HeOuJ and BALB/c, C57BL/6J, or F1 mice.
Conclusions:
The strain-dependent differences in susceptibility indicate that genetic factors may play a major role in the etiology of bacterial prostatitis. Because F1 mice did not develop significant bladder and prostate infections, similar to the BALB/c parents, it appears that infection susceptibility is a recessive trait. The availability of this model will allow us to investigate the immunology, genetics, and histopathologic features of bacterial infection of the prostate.
Insights
This study developed a mouse model for bacterial prostatitis. Certain mouse strains showed high susceptibility, indicating genetic factors influence infection risk and paving the way for further research.
Area of Science:
- Urology
- Infectious Diseases
- Genetics
Background:
- Prostatitis affects a significant portion of adult men, with bacterial prostatitis occurring in 2-3% of cases.
- The exact causes of prostatitis are not fully understood, necessitating the development of reliable models for study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a reproducible mouse model for bacterial prostatitis.
- To investigate the genetic factors influencing susceptibility to bacterial prostatitis.
Main Methods:
- Five mouse strains (BALB/c, C3H/HeJ, C3H/HeOuJ, C57BL/6J, and F1 hybrids) were inoculated intraurethrally with Escherichia coli.
- Infection intensity in the bladder and prostate was assessed 5 days post-inoculation.
Main Results:
- C3H/HeJ and C3H/HeOuJ mice developed severe bladder and prostate infections.
- BALB/c, C57BL/6J, and F1 mice showed no significant infections.
- A statistically significant difference (P < 0.01) in infection levels was observed between susceptible and resistant strains.
Conclusions:
- Genetic factors play a crucial role in determining susceptibility to bacterial prostatitis.
- Infection susceptibility appears to be a recessive trait, as indicated by F1 hybrid results.
- This new model will facilitate research into the immunology, genetics, and pathology of bacterial prostatitis.
