The effects of intrauterine infection by Gardnerella vaginalis in a fetal rabbit model
Geok Chin TAN MPath, PhD, Chee Hoe LAI MD, MMed, FARIHAH Suhaimi1 MBBS, PhD,
Kon Ken WONG PhD, SALASAWATI Hussin MPath, Fook Choe CHEAH2 FRCP, PhD
Department of Pathology, 1Anatomy and 2Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre
Introduction: Gardnerella vaginalis (GV) is an anaerobic, non-motile, Gram variable coccobacillus. It is a vaginal commensal common in women of reproductive age. Most commonly
recognized for its role as one of the organisms responsible for bacterial vaginosis. Effect of
Bacterial Vaginosis in pregnancy includes chorioamnionitis, deciduitis, IUGR, premature
delivery and invasive neonatal infection such as meningitis and pneumonia. The aim of this
study was to develop a fetal rabbit model using GV as the cause of intra-uterine infection in
order to study the outcomes of this bacterial infection, to the fetus and placenta. Methods: A
total of 21 fetal rabbits were assessed. Laparotomy and inoculation of 0.5ml of 102 GV were
performed on New Zealand white rabbits at 21 days of gestation and waited for 7 days.
Subsequently, the weight of fetal rabbit was determined, meanwhile lung and placenta tissues
were harvested for further analysis. Results: The average weight of GV infected fetal rabbit
was lower than control group (p=0.001). The average weight of the lung and placenta of GV
infected fetal rabbit was also lower than the control group (p=0.002 and p=0.027). There was
a significant increase in the number of multinucleated giant cells in the placenta of GV
infected fetal rabbit than the control group (p<0.001). Discussion: This is the first model of
GV infected fetal rabbit using intrauterine injection method. In conclusion, mild degree of
intrauterine GV infection in fetal rabbit causes chronic inflammation with giant cells that
retards the growth of fetus and placenta.
Keywords: chorioamnionitis, Gardnerella vaginalis, lung, placenta, rabbit