Chlamydial pneumonitis induced in newborn guinea pigs

One- to three-day-old guinea pigs were inoculated intranasally with the chlamydial agent of guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis. Physical signs of infection included a marked increase in respiration rate on days 5 to 10 of infection and radiographic evidence of pneumonia on day 6. When animals were killed at various times after infection and lung tissue was examined by histopathology, evidence of pneumonia was found beginning on day 4 and lasting as long as day 12, with maximal pathological changes on days 6 to 8. The pneumonia was generally unilateral and consisted of an acute inflammatory component in the bronchioles with granulocytes in both the lumen and the wall of the bronchioles and an interstitial and intra-alveolar mononuclear infiltrate in the parenchyma of the lung. Chlamydial antigen was detected in the bronchial epithelial cells by immunoperoxidase staining, and the guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis organism was isolated from lung tissue on days 6 to 9. No other significant bacteria were isolated from lung tissue or seen on gram stains of lung sections. Both immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G serum antibodies to the guinea pig inclusion conjunctivitis agent were detected as early as day 8 and reached peak levels on day 12. The infection was apparently self-limiting. This model presents the opportunity to investigate pathophysiological and immunological aspects of chlamydial respiratory infections in a neonatal animal.