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Lethal Outcome of Uterine Infection in Pregnant but Not in Nonpregnant Rats and Increased Death Rate With Inhibition of Nitric Oxide
Author(s) -
Nowicki B.,
Fang L.,
Singhal J.,
Nowicki S.,
Yallampalli C.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1997.tb00521.x
Subject(s) - nitric oxide , pregnancy , genitourinary system , gestation , uterus , medicine , physiology , obstetrics , andrology , endocrinology , biology , genetics
PROBLEM: Limited information is available on potential differences in sensitivity to urogenital infections between pregnant and nonpregnant hosts. METHOD OF STUDY: In this study, we evaluated Escherichia coli infectious complications in pregnant and nonpregnant rats and the effect of nitric oxide (NO) inhibitor, N G ‐nitro‐ l ‐arginine methyl ester ( l ‐NAME), on the outcome of an experimental uterine infection. RESULTS: Of the infected pregnant animals, 31% were found dead in 24–48 hr. The death rate was increased 2‐fold (66%) with l ‐NAME treatment. No deaths occurred in nonpregnant animals with or without l ‐NAME treatment. The rate of uterine infection in pregnant animals was about 10‐fold higher than in nonpregnant animals. CONCLUSION: We propose that infectious complications of pregnancy may be related to gestation‐dependent sensitivity to the pathogenic microorganism and the host NO status.