Immune protective effects of chitooligosaccharides on mice genital tract infected by Chlamydia trachomatis

The immune protective effects of chitooligosaccharides (COs) on mouse genital tract infected by Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) were unknown.

The minimum effective/infective dose was obtained by establishing the murine model of the genital tract infected by Ct. The model mice were treated with different doses (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 g/kg,) of COs and 0.9% saline, and the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody and interleukin (IL)-11 levels were then assayed. The healthy mice were used as the control. After 1 week of immunity, a double-effective/infective dose of Ct was used to attack the genital tract. After 10 days of experiment, the mice were killed, their spleen and thymus indexes were determined, and the pathological changes in their genital tract were evaluated.

Treatment with COs increased the serum IgG antibody, IL-11 levels, and spleen and thymus indexes but decreased the positive infection rate and inclusion body formation with Ct.

COs could induce immune protection on the Ct-infected mouse genital tract and might be used as an alternative drug for the treatment of genital tract infected with Ct.